A Day in the Life of a Spy
by corvusdraconis
Summary: AU: Who is Hermione? No one knows her real name or where she came from. Her handler has always been Severus Snape, who has trained her since she was a small child to be the perfect agent to keep Harry Potter alive despite all the things and people working against him. The greatest mystery of all, however, is one even Hermione doesn't know: her own past. [Eventual H/Loki]
1. Unspeakable Beginnings

**[Summary]** Who is Hermione? No one knows her real name or where she came from. Her handler has always been Severus Snape, who has trained her since she was a small child to be the perfect agent to keep Harry Potter alive despite all the things and people working against him. The greatest mystery of all, however, is one even Hermione doesn't know: her own past.

 **A/N** : Uh… been feeling uninspired on a lot of fronts. Sorry.

 **Beta Love:** The Dragon and the Rose, Dutchgirl01

* * *

 **A Day in the Life of a Spy**

 _A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. - Mahatma Gandhi_

"There you go, young lady," Amelia Bones chuckled as she pulled the miniature robes into place over the young girl's petite frame. "Ready to go?"

The little girl, tightened her grip on the squirming kitten in her arms, and strangely the little orange and gold fluffball settled, purring happily.

"Any lucky getting her to let go of the little cub?" a younger male wizard asked.

"No Ashgrove," Amelia chuckled. "I think that those two are going to be thick as thieves. I'm pretty sure it's a familiar bond."

"With a _Nundu_ cub? Seriously?" Ashgrove sighed. "I didn't even think they could be familiars."

"Just because no one has survived to tell the tale, but she seems to be quite immune," Amelia snorted, watching the cub _lick, lick, lick_ the little girl's giggling face. "Besides, she's already named him."

"Oh? What, pray tell, did she come up with?" Ashgrove asked.

"Crookshanks," the witch laughed. "Don't ask. She likes it, and he seems to think it's his name now."

Ashgrove slumped. "What am I going to tell the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures— that I lost their Nundu cub because a child found the cage and decided to play with it?"

"They already know," Bones laughed. "Went and registered her the in the Familiar Division this morning."

"Why am I always the last to hear these things? Ashgrove muttered.

"Your husband isn't the head of the Department who woke up with a young witch plunking down a Nundu cub on his chest saying 'Kitty Crookshanks, say good morning!' and have him bolt out of bed thinking he was going to die of some virulent disease." Amelia smiled as the little girl tied a pink ribbon around the Nundu's neck and giggled. "Couldn't ask for a better guardian. That Nundu is going to be big enough to ride in a few years. She'll have her own ready-made battlecat."

Ashgrove rubbed the area between his eyes. "How do you know she's immune? It's a Nundu!"

The Nundu breathed a black cloud of disease into the child's face, and she just giggled. "Bad kitty. Your breath stinks. Would you like a mint?" She unwrapped a white and red striped candy and stuck it into the little Nundu's mouth. "Ammy says not to breathe clouds in people's faces, ok?" She clamped her hand over the cub's muzzle.

Crookshanks mrowled and lay on his back, inviting her hands in for a belly rub.

"Nevermind, I'll be back in my office, rewriting everything we know about Nundu," Ashgrove muttered, shuffling off to his office.

"Help me towel off Crooks, ya?" Amelia invited.

"Okay!" the girl agreed, grabbing a fluffy towel and setting to task, rubbing the cub vigorously until his fur was puffed out like a Puffskein.

"Mrowl?" Crooks meowed, looking a little dizzy.

"Time to put on his safety collar, love," Amelia said, handing the girl the bright green familiar registration collar.

"Okay," the girl said, taking it. "Sit, Crooks. I have to make you pretty."

"Mrowl," the Nundu complained as she set about putting the collar around his neck. She carefully latched it, shoving her fingers in between the collar. "See? Hand fits. So you can't choke yourself like Andy on a fish bone."

Amelia snorted. "Hermione, how did you know about Andy choking on a fish bone?"

The girl looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "Everyone knows about that, Ammy," Hermione said. "He tells us the story every day during lunch break."

"You, Hermione, are entirely too observant," Amelia said with a smile. "That is why we have to pair you with someone who is just as cunning and bright as you are."

Hermione hugged Crooks again. "You won't take away Crooks?"

"No, love," Amelia reassured her. "Crooks is with you for good."

Hermione smiled, releasing her death grip on the feline.

"Good thing Nundu are remarkably resilient," Amelia mused, scratching the cub between the ears.

"Crooks is a cockroach!" Hermione announced brightly.

"What?"

"Mr Jenkins said cockroaches are survivalists!" Hermione answered. "Crooks will survive too!"

Amelia chuckled. "Indeed he will."

"Do you think if someone cut off his head he would live like a cockroach?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity.

"Okay, I think someone needs to pay a little less attention to Mr Jenkins," Amelia said, pulling Hermione to her. "Let's go to your class and then we can meet your new family, okay love?"

"Okay, but I don't want to stay with them if they don't like Crookshanks," Hermione said, her face scrunching up.

Amelia hugged her warmly. "Not to worry. If anyone can accept a disease-breathing feline, he can."

Hermione beamed.

"You remember what I taught you about how to walk with him?" Amelia asked.

Hermione nodded excitedly. She pulled out a leather clip leash and attached it to Crook's collar. "Come on, Crooks. Let's be in a fashion show!"

Hermione and Crooks proudly strolled down the hall and out of the hidden office areas. Amelia snickered to herself, trying to contain her amusement at the young witch's enthusiasm. _Fashion show?_ she thought to herself. _Now where did she pick THAT up?_ Amelia knew that Hermione was of the age where she picked up everything. She wanted to touch everything, hold everything, and imitate everyone. She was perfectly willing to be friends with everyone and tell them about her day in great detail, if only they would just hold still and let her tell her story.

Amelia looked into the open classroom and chuckled as each of the children they had rescued as foundlings sat in a circle and shared their adventures in the morning debriefing. The debriefing was commonplace every morning and evening. Each child would recall what they remembered from their dreams or their night, trying to recall it in the most vivid detail as they could remember. It would prepare them for a time when the debriefings were real. By then, they would be old hands at it.

Each child had been a rescue, either found in abusive homes or had been left abandoned. Some of them came from orphanages. The goal of the program was to prevent highly magical, gifted children from becoming the next Tom Riddle, but the results were proving to be something they had not expected. They had formed a tightly-knit community from within the Unspeakables, and many of them had become like their real children. Instead of having one nuclear family, they had the entire network of Unspeakables as their surrogate parents, teachers, and mentors, and amongst the other children, they had peers.

Each child was given the utmost of love, care, and support that any healthy child should have during their first years, and by the age of five, which Hermione now was, they were paired up with the person(s) would be their parent, mentor, and most trusted compatriot— learning what they were the strongest at without the use of their magic until they were eleven. From there, they were given the choice of going to one of the magical schools or apprenticing and continuing their one-on-one mentoring within the Unspeakables.

Hermione, however, was a very special case. She had been found abandoned in a forest with nothing but a soil-caked quilt around her. Had she been a normal child, they would likely not have found her, but somehow the little witch had been born with her magic channels wide open, and she had used them to summon a bottle and replace her nappy. That surge of accidental magic had brought the Unspeakables to her, and they had taken her into their care on the spot.

There were other children, such as Damien O'Connor, who were born with a tendency to accidentally set things on fire. His parents, Muggles, had thrown him to the church, calling him, ironically, a demon spawn. The Unspeakables had rescued the baby boy and placed him with the Finnigan family. Catrìona and Padraic, members of the quite large family of Finnigans, had been serving as Unspeakables since what seemed like time immemorial, but exposure to a cursed artifact had rendered Catrìona barren. She and her husband had joyfully taken Damien in and adopted him.

There were others, such as the raven-haired, emerald-eyed boy, Harry Potter, that had been rescued for entirely different reasons: familial abuse, near-starvation, and general neglect. One such episode had caused the boy to release a potent blast of magic that had alerted the Unspeakables to his accidental magic in a purely Muggle subdivision. They found him wrapped so tightly in a swaddling cloth that the boy could barely move. He had then been unceremoniously stuffed away in the cupboard under the stairs like a busted vacuum cleaner. To top it off, there were multiple layers of odd spells that had been placed upon him ranging from tracers to magic dampeners.

At first, they hadn't known who he was. He had been a magical child in need, and the family — the Dursleys— had practically thrown the sobbing boy into their arms, telling them to take the "freak" away to be with his own kind. They obviously knew of wizardkind, but they also expressed a clear hatred for it. Why they were allowed to remain un-Obliviated, however, was completely unknown. They had taken the child, washed him up, fed him the first good meal he'd probably had in days, and did a physical examination on him as he slept. It was only then they realised it was Harry Potter— the Boy-Who-Lived.

Horrified that the sole survivor of Voldemort's killing curse had been left to cry alone in a tiny cupboard, Amelia promptly made him a ward of the Unspeakables, had the rather large collection of tracers spells on him stripped, and he, too, joined with Hermione in the growing community of former-outcasts. Alas, the identity of whoever had placed the various spells on the Potter boy remained, thus far, unknown.

Disturbing information gathered by and known only to the Unspeakables revealed that Death Eaters appeared to be steadily dying off, but were not being taken out by the Aurors or their counterparts in the Department of Mysteries. It seemed that anyone who had taken the Dark Mark— anyone that had a physical or magical tie to the man who had called himself the Dark Lord Voldemort were being found dead with no indication whatsoever that foul play had been involved.

A familiar drape of pale blond hair caught Amelia's eye and she turned to see the distinctive form of Lucius Malfoy walking into the classroom from the other side.

"Good morning, children," he purred.

"Good morning, Mr Malfoy!" the children chimed together.

"Are you excited about today's lesson?"

The gathered children nodded eagerly.

"Magic is all about potential, and that is something we attempt to quantify," Lucius began, "or rather measure with something called Magical Theory. If you have wet hair, how would you measure it?"

Hands waved.

"Yes, Boyd?"

"Wring it out into a measuring cup?"

"Not bad, not bad," Lucius said with a nod, "but what happens with what is still left in the hair?"

Puzzled faces and whispers spread through the class.

Lucius smiled. "It would be very difficult for us to measure the amount of water left in the hair. That leftover water is like potential. We know it is there, but we cannot always know precisely how much. Air, too, is like potential. It is all around us. We breathe it in to survive, yet we cannot see it. That does not mean it is not there, yes?"

The children nodded.

Lucius paused and looked down to find a Nundu cub contentedly chewing away on one of his dragonhide boots.

"Sorry, Mr Malfoy!" Hermione quickly apologised, pulling the teething cub back against her into a hug. "Don't be a pest to Mr Malfoy, Crooks. He likes his appearance to be very proper."

"Mrowl," Crooks protested, but settled into her arms.

Lucius arched an elegant brow, conjured a thick rawhide snitch, handed it to the happy cub, and then smoothly continued on with his lecture. "So, today we are going to explore potential. We can start with heat and things that can become hot but are not always so. Can any of you think of something that isn't always hot that could be?"

"Laundry!" one of the children said. Giggling spread through the room.

"Yes, well, that isn't quite what I mean," Lucius chuckled.

"A teapot!" another child said.

"Mmm, close," Lucius said. "Why is the teapot hot?"

Silence.

One hand raised, waving.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"The teapot is hot because you pour hot water into it to brew tea," she said shyly.

"Good, and how does that water get hot?" Lucius asked.

"You put a fire under it!" Damien blurted out. "Mum puts her water kettle over the fire."

"Very good," Lucius praised. "Water has the potential to be hot, but it does not get that way without help. Magic is the same way. We must learn what makes our magic become active. When you are older, that will be done using wands. Now, because you have all been attentive, I think we can have a little fun while learning today."

All the children instantly perked.

"You all have your familiars, yes?"

"Yes, Mr Malfoy!"

"One thing familiars can help us with, other than doing tasks such as bringing us items or even helping to deliver mail, if you happen to have an owl, is help you tap into your potential. You can, when your bond is strong enough, actually channel your magic through your familiar as you would yourself, and this is a very special and powerful benefit to having a true familiar instead of a pet. Now, have any of you experienced anything special with your familiar?"

A hand waved almost immediately.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Hedwig used to be my stuffed owl," Harry said proudly. "And now she wakes me up every morning so I'm not late."

Another hand waved.

"Yes, Damien?"

"Rochester fetches me cheese from the kitchen when mum thinks I'm sleeping," Damien confessed.

Lucius frowned, a somewhat concerned look on his face. "A familiar picks up your emotions and your needs, but it is important to do them the service of picking up on their needs and their emotions too, yes?"

"Yes, Mr Malfoy," the children chimed in.

"Does anyone here know how to tell the difference between a familiar and a responsive pet?" Lucius asked.

"There is a bond between your magic if it is a familiar," a young red-headed witch said.

"Correct, Gwendolyn," Lucius answered. "What else?"

"A familiar can share senses with you," Hermione answered. "Thoughts, smells, vision."

Lucius nodded. "Has Crooks shared those with you?"

Hermione nodded shyly. "He really likes salmon rather than tuna, and sometimes I get dizzy when he chases spiders and bugs."

Lucius chuckled. "As your bond grows stronger, you will be able to better filter what you want to sense and what you don't. However, there are times you do not want to block them out. It could truly save your life. Does this make sense?"

The children whispered amongst each other.

"Like how Cheeky here senses danger?" a young boy asked, lifting up his ground squirrel.

"Yes, like that," Lucius said with a nod. "Now, not everyone has a familiar, and that is okay. You can have a wonderful and strong partnership with an animal without it sharing the bond with you. So if you run across those outside of here that do not have a familiar, do not think they are lesser people. A familiar bond is very special. We are allowed to keep them with us where other animals are not allowed— even in schools and at the Ministry. Because of this, we must be very careful that we do not scare others. Jessica, for example, befriended a gryphon kit. This is a very special animal but can be very dangerous to those they do not know. It is her job, and ours, to teach our familiars who to trust and behave properly around. We don't want to unnecessarily scare people, right?"

"Right!" the children chimed.

"Okay. Today, I want you to pick a toy that your familiar would like from the room, but don't pick it up," Lucius instructed. "I want you to sit right here and think really hard on that object. What does it look like? Does it smell? Focus that you want it, but don't forget to think about _why_. You don't want to startle your familiar or accidentally hurt them, okay?"

"Okay!"

"See if you can get them to fetch it to you," Lucius instructed. "For those of you with small animals that cannot fly, _please_ do not choose Mr Binkie Bear from the top shelf."

The children giggled and nodded back to him.

"Okay, go!" Lucius said, and the children set to work. He walked over to where Amelia was sitting. "Enjoying the class, boss?"

Amelia smiled. "Always, Lucius. You have a real way with children. I think if people really knew how good you were with them, we'd have people falling over in shock all across Britain."

Lucius' lips curved upward. "Tell that to Narcissa. She is convinced that I couldn't teach a rat to find cheese, let alone our own son."

Amelia snorted. "I know you wanted to have Draco learn with the group here. Is Narcissa still in her protective phase?"

Lucius sighed. "She never stopped. Mind you, her parents were on par with mine for child abuse in the name of Pureblood supremacist values, so she is still… overcompensating. She sits with him even when the tutor comes each day, isolating him, discouraging him from being social with other children, and I dread what it will do for the boy growing up without knowing friends—peers even."

Amelia frowned. "Perhaps, we can move one or two of the classes to the public classrooms in the Ministry, out of the private Unspeakable areas. There is a nice garden courtyard up there that we can teach in. The kids will enjoy it, and you could bring Draco and Narcissa too. She'll be right there to observe so she won't have to worry. He will get to socialise and Narcissa shouldn't feel the need to be on guard quite so much."

Lucius gave a small nod of appreciation. "I would find that to be a great relief."

A loud crash came from the classroom, and Lucius spun and returned. He scanned the room, and all the other children were pointing towards a rather sheepish-looking child holding a raccoon covered in every colour of the rainbow's worth of finger paint. The child had a number of multi-coloured pawprints splattered over his face. The raccoon had Mr Binkie Bear in his mouth.

Every other familiar in the room was looking rather appalled, sitting timidly in their person's lap, almost as if to say "oh, no, you're not pinning this on me!"

"Mr Henderson," Lucius drawled.

All the children _ooooohed_ at Lucius' use of the boy's last name.

"Which part of do not go after Mr Binkie Bear on the top shelf did you not understand?"

"Ooooooo!" the other children heckled as the unfortunate boy blushed beet red, making the colorful pawprints on his face stand out all the brighter.

Meanwhile, Amelia Bones discreetly snickered into her robe sleeve, trying not to laugh too loudly as Lucius pulled out his wand and swiftly cleaned up the rather substantial mess.

* * *

"Hermione, this is Severus Snape," Amelia introduced. "He's going to be your guardian from now on."

Hermione stared up at the tall wizard. "You're serious."

A beat.

"What?"

"You're serious," Hermione repeated. "Would you like to pet Crookshanks? He makes me smile." She held out the Nundu cub with some effort.

Severus knelt down to be more on her level. He gently lifted the Nundu cub out of her hands and pet him. Crooks purred happily and slobbered all over his fingers. Severus lifted one eyebrow in amusement.

"Kitty likes you," Hermione concluded. "I will like you too."

Snape's expression softened. "I am honoured."

Hermione scrunched up her face. "Kitty has halo-toe-sus. Sometimes he needs a mint."

"Well it is good that I am a potion master," Snape mused. "I'm sure I can come up with something to rectify kitty's dragon breath."

Hermione perked and let go of Amelia's hand and glomped Snape's leg. "I like you. I think Crooks and me will keep you."

Snape exchanged glances with Amelia. Amelia winked at him.

"Crooks and I, Hermione, dear," Amelia corrected.

"Crooks and I shall keep you," Hermione restated dutifully, lifting her chin.

"Well," Snape said. "However could I refuse such a charming offer?"

Hermione smiled at him.

"Are you a priest?" Hermione asked. "Do you take concussions?"

Snape just blinked at her.

Amelia chortled into her sleeve. "No, Hermione. He's a potions master."

Hermione seemed to concentrate very hard. "Do potions masters take concussions?"

"Confessions," Snape corrected, "and no. I do not take confessions."

"But, what if I did something and needed to confess?" Hermione asked with some concern.

"You will be able to tell me, Hermione," Snape reassured.

"Even if you aren't a priest?"

Snape arched a brow. "Even if I am not a priest."

Hermione took Crookshanks back and laid him over her shoulder. "Okay! Crooks and I will trust you with our concussions."

"Confessions."

"Con-fesh-ons." Hermione repeated.

"Though, technically, you can also trust me with your concussions," Severus mused.

Amelia gave Severus the eye.

"Will you be my master?" Hermione asked, tugging on his robes. "Will I have to wear all black and become a priest?"

Severus extended his hands to her. "Perhaps, in the future you will be my apprentice, but for now, there are other things that need taking care of."

"Crooks can come too?"

"Crooks can come too," Severus promised.

"Will I get to call you daddy?" Hermione asked, her bright grey eyes wide and hopeful.

"If you wish it," Severus replied softly, a trace of pain flashing across his face for the briefest of instants. But then he smiled.

Hermione hugged his leg tightly. "Crooks says you're trustworthy. I trust you."

Severus gently placed his hand on her long black curls. "Well, at least no one will question your being related to me with that hair. The eyes, however—"

"The adoption has been known to take of that," Amelia said with a nod. "Mind you, a few cases has been known to give the adoptee strangely familiar proclivities to their adoptive parent's personality.

"Amelia, are you telling me that she'll become the second snarky git just because she'll be related to me by both blood and magic?"

Amelia shrugged. "Possibly? Maybe you will end up manifesting some new qualities too?"

Severus snorted. "Glorious." He looked down at Hermione and nodded. "Are you ready?"

Hermione clasped his robes tightly. "Sev-er-russ," she said to Crookshanks. "Be nice to Sev-er-russ." She looked up at him and smiled. "We're ready."

* * *

The moment Severus and Hermione came out of the magical Adoption Chamber, Severus knew that something significant had happened. The soulful emptiness that had plagued him for most of his life seemed far and gone. Instead, as he looked into the now black eyes of his adopted daughter, he knew there was one person he could _never_ let down.

Whether she truly knew the significance of the adoption, he wasn't sure, but he knew she was just as hungry for a loving family as he had been for that painful and most glorious trust she gave him. He had never expected to see such a thing. He had never expected to become anyone's whole world. He had never thought that anyone so innocent would believe him worthy of such a priceless gift.

Her hair had changed. The riotous, bushy curls had tamed into a very subtle wave that was almost straight. Her skin had become paler, much like his. His own hair no longer appeared greasy, but was lustrous and full with a healthy glow that many a Muggle luxury shampoo maker would've come beating down his door begging for him to endorse their product. He had gained her pearlescent, perfect teeth but she had gained his characteristic elongated canines that had people suspecting him a vampire from practically day one.

Hermione had looked in a mirror and then hugged Crookshanks, crying out delightedly, "Look Crooks! I have fangs just like you!"

"Mrowl!" Crooks clearly approved of the subtle changes in his mistress.

Severus had never thought someone would be happy to have elongated canine teeth, but Hermione seemed to think anything that made her more like him was more of a reason to celebrate.

"Family now!" she told Crooks. "We are Snapes! You are now Crookshanks Snape!"

The Nundu had tilted his head and gave Hermione a rough lick with his raspy tongue, causing her to giggle.

"Now we _both_ have families," Hermione said to Crooks. She twirled the cub around until they were both dizzy.

Hermione picked up Crooks, and Severus picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "Where we going?"

"Home," Severus replied.

"Home," Hermione whispered, hugging him tight. "We have a home."

* * *

Minerva was the only one allowed in the wards of his property on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, so it was no surprise for him to see her waiting on the porch with fresh iced tea and a tin of homemade biscuits. She had been the one professor that he had been able to "run" to after Dumbledore had forcibly sworn him to secrecy about his near-demise via werewolf in the Shrieking Shack, courtesy of a hateful Sirius Black on one awful full moon night. Minerva had, unfortunately, been unable to do anything against the headmaster's express orders, but she did give him a desperately-needed place to escape to. It had helped quite a bit, but he hadn't been able to stay there forever. Trouble seemed to find him, and it always seemed to know the ideal time to strike, when he was alone and there were no potential witnesses around.

Even so, Severus knew he was just as guilty of holding onto grudges as the Marauders had been in pursuing him. So many years had passed where it was customary to try and hex the shite out of each other at every possible opportunity that neither party was entirely blameless. Still, there were many times when he had just wanted to be left alone only to have himself tripped, his shoes glued to the floor, his pants exposed, and a hundred other things done to make the chant "Greasy Snivellus" a far more common event than a kind or even neutral word.

Hermione, however, was a different story. He was determined that she would have the kind of upbringing that he himself had been denied. She would always know it was safe to come home. She could come to him with both confessions or concussions, and he would be there to soothe that pain away. He would be the man his father had most definitely not been. Hermione would not curse the name Snape as he had, and now, neither would he. Hermione was now a Snape.

"Severus," Minerva greeted. "Did all go well?"

Severus paused at the entry to the garden and adjusted his wards. "Perfectly," he replied, setting Hermione down on the ground so she could explore. "Hermione, this is Minerva McGonagall. She is a teacher at the magical school near here. Hogwarts."

"Hi," Hermione said, clinging a little to Severus' trousers. She and Crooks peered at the elder witch with one part curiosity and one part evaluation. "Do you like kitties?"

Minerva smiled. "I am quite fond of felines," she replied. "Some would say I was born to be a cat."

Hermione perked. "I'm Hermione! This is Crookshanks!" exclaimed Hermione, holding up the squirmy Nundu cub. "He's my best friend."

"Oh?" Minerva gasped. "What a beauty he is."

Hermione grinned. "Want to hold him? He wiggles." She thrust the Nundu cub out in front of her.

"Mrowl?" Crooks commented.

Minerva gently let the Nundu sniff her hands before picking him up. The Nundu cub proceeded to scent mark Minerva from head to toe and then flopped in her lap.

Hermione had a look of concentration on her face. "Okay, we'll keep you. You may stay!" she announced.

Minerva laughed and gave slight a bow of her head. "Thank you, Hermione."

"We can adopt you, and you can be a Snape too!" Hermione announced, pleased with herself.

Severus gave Minerva an bemused look. "I do not think that is how it works, Hermione."

"Worked for Daddy-Severus," Hermione reasoned. "Will work for Mummy-nerva!"

Minerva had tears brimming in her eyes. "Come here, dear child. Let me give you a hug."

"Okay!" Hermione agreed and ran up to give Minerva a hug.

Minerva's face softened with emotion as she gave Severus a meaningful look.

* * *

Hermione took her brand-new bedroom like a duck to water. She gleefully threw herself onto the large bed after Minerva had adjusted it to accommodate for the future growth of Crookshanks. She and Crooks explored the entire cottage from top to bottom, and Severus was sure that he took her to the laboratory and within, cautioning her that she should never enter the laboratory unless he was there. Hermione had nodded and placed a small green sticker with an icky face on it on the door, dubbing it the "yucky door."

"Wherever did she pick that up?" Minerva asked curiously.

Severus shook his head. "She finds things."

"This room needs some colour!" Hermione announced.

"What colour would you like it to be?" Minerva asked.

Hermione frowned, thinking hard. "Can the bed be like Crooks? That way he can feel at home too."

Minerva nodded. She waved her wand and recoloured the bed curtains and duvet to match the tawny gold and sienna of Crookshanks' fur, but leaving the pillows, blankets and sheets a rich ivory. Then Hermione put her hands on the white walls. "Can this be green? Like the stuff that grows on rocks?"

"Moss green?" Minerva asked.

Hermione nodded.

Minerva waved her wand and turned the paint a deep moss green.

Hermione clapped excitedly. "Thank you, Mummy-nerva!"

Minerva looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. "You are very welcome, child." Thinking a moment, Minerva conjured a gold, moss green and ivory rug to cover the hardwood floor and a moss green plush armchair beside the little girl's bed.

Hermione lifted the duvet up and peered inside. "Come on, Crooks! Let's make sure everything is good!"

The pair promptly disappeared under the covers. Giggling and meowing followed shortly after. Hermione popped her head out from under, followed by Crookshanks. "It's perfect!"

Severus, who had remained silent until then, said, "I'm glad you think so." He set down a cat-shaped stone on the bedside table. "If you ever need light, you can touch the cat. The first time it will be dim, but the second and third time will get brighter. The fourth time turns it off, okay?"

Hermione reached out and touched the stone and it glowed dimly. A smile spread across her face as she touched it again, making it brighter. Then, she snatched it off the table and drew it under the covers with her and Crookshanks.

Minerva and Severus exchanged glances.

Severus shook his head and placed another cat-shaped stone on the bedside table.

* * *

"Daddy, what's this?" Hermione asked, lifting up a large glass jar.

"Asphodel," Severus answered. "Be careful with the containers. They are are glass and could hurt you if they break."

Hermione slowly put the jar down and patted it like one would reassure a small pet. "Don't break, Mr Jar. Hermione doesn't want to bleeded all over."

Severus snorted. "Bleed, Hermione. I don't even think bleeded is a word."

Hermione stared up at him and lifted her arms in clear desire for a lift.

Severus leaned down and picked her up, allowing her to affix her arms around his neck.

"Why does daddy have so many dangerous jars?" Hermione asked.

"The jars hold ingredients, so I can make potions."

"To help Crookshanks?" Hermione asked. "Make his halo-toe-suss go away?"

Severus ruffled her hair. "Yes, to help Crook's very bad morning breath."

"Horray!" Hermione cheered. "Can we make him smell like strawberries?"

Severus arched a brow. "I suppose we can try."

"How do you know what to put in the vat?" Hermione asked, pointing to the cauldron.

"I follow a recipe," Severus explained, pointing to a book on a stand. "Sometimes, I remember them, so I don't need a book."

Hermione peered at the book curiously. "Writing looks funny," Hermione said, pointing at the book. "Toe ver graykun—"

" _Toverdranken voor Magische Wezen Brouwen voor Gevorderden_ ," Severus said with a tight smile.

" _Ghazun tight_ ," Hermione blessed him, covering his mouth.

"It's Dutch, Hermione," Severus explained. "Not English. It says 'Advanced Potion-Making for Magical Creatures'."

"There are different types of books?" Hermione gave him a wide-eyed expression.

"Mhmm," he answered. "Many languages too. This one is written in Dutch."

"Ooo!" Hermione bounced. "Can I learn Dutch?"

"I suppose, if you really wished to."

"I wish to!" Hermione announced. She lifted up Crook's paws. "So does Crooks!"

"Mrowl?" Crooks meowed quizzically.

"Let's start small, hrm?" Severus chuckled. " _7 hele aardbeien_ ," he guided. "That means seven whole strawberries. Shall we go pick them in the garden?"

"Okay! Crooks finds the fresh ones. Want to see?" Hermione patted Crooks on the head and looked at him with concentration.

Crooks lashed his tail and bounded out the door.

"Follow kitty!" Hermione said.

Severus shook his head and followed.

Fourteen large baskets of strawberries later, Severus came to the conclusion that he had been sorely neglecting his strawberry patch. Thanks to a certain excited daughter and her Nundu, however, he had enough strawberries to make preserves, divvy out the spoils to his rather small group of friends, and they would have still have enough to last them well into the coming of the next strawberry apocalypse.

Crookshanks, who was sporting a slathering of strawberry stains all over his muzzle, seemed to be enjoying himself, so it was no surprise that the large feline didn't mind drinking down the finished potion to prevent accidental halitosis incidents. He had a feeling that if Hermione ever encountered any real dangers, Crook's fatal disease-ridden breath would still do what it had been doing for generations of Nundu: kill things. Yet, Amelia's faith that Crooks would not wander around and wantonly murder people seemed very plausible. The familiar bond between them seemed to be getting stronger each day, and Hermione was surprisingly stern with Crooks about "no bad breathing on people. It's not nice."

Severus caught Hermione with one arm and Crookshanks with the other. "Ready to meet some new friends?"

Hermione looked a little suspicious. "There won't be nasty-tasting things to drink will there?"

Severus tilted his head. "No, there shouldn't be."

Hermione remained suspicious. "Ammy said it was to make sure I didn't get sick, but it tasted _horrible_."

Severus leveled his gaze to hers. "I had to drink them too. We all did before we were allowed in the really secret places."

"Yucky."

"Very," Severus agreed.

"Daddy can make them taste like strawberries, right?" Hermione asked. "Just like for Crookshanks' dwagon breath."

Severus arched a brow. "I haven't been asked to."

"You don't have to ask, daddy," Hermione said patting him on the head. "Just make them so people feel better about taking yucky stuff."

Severus arched a brow. "Come on, help daddy carry the strawberry basket, ok?"

"Ok!" Hermione said.

Hermione picked up a smaller basket as Severus held a larger one. Crooks wrapped his mouth around one of the smaller baskets and carried it in his mouth. "Good Crooks! He's helping too!" Hermione praised.

Severus smiled. Teamwork was a wonderful thing.

* * *

"Well, hello there, Miss Snape," Ollivander greeted, his pale silver eyes sparkling with warmth. "I was told you might be stopping in."

"Hullo, Mr Ollivander," Hermione said politely.

Ollivander smiled. "I hear that you are ready to have a wand, hrm? Early for most little witches, but you, I hear, have already been doing magic."

Hermione nodded, grasping Severus' robes. "Ammy says my magic channels are—" she started to say, her face twisting in concentration. "Burnt on."

"Born open, perhaps?" Ollivander suggested.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed.

"Have a wand pick you is a very special time, yound Lady," Ollivander said. "Are you ready?"

Hermione looked up at Severus for a visual clue, and he nodded to her. She looked back to Ollivander. "I'm ready!"

"We are going to take our time because you will not just have one wand, but two. One will be very secret, and the other will be the one you allow others to see," Ollivander explained.

"I like secrets. Crooks likes secrets too!" Hermione said excitedly. She lifted up the Nundu cub and showed him off to Ollivander. "Say hullo, Crooks!"

"Mrowl?" the confused cub said, batting at Ollivander's face clawlessly.

Ollivander's eyes went very wide. "Gracious," he whispered. "Is that a Nundu?"

Hermione nodded happily. "We fixed his breath. No more halo-toe-suss."

Ollivander looked up to Severus, who nodded back to him in a go ahead gesture. Garrick gently extended his fingers for the cub to sniff and very carefully rubbed his ears.

Crooks' eyes crossed slightly as he headbonked into Garrick's hands.

"This changes things," Ollivander said. "I think you'll only need to find one wand. If your feline friend would like to help, we can make you the second wand today. How does that sound?"

Hermione's eyes grew very wide with delight. "Yes!"

"Follow me, my young friend," Garrick invited.

Hermione looked up for permission from Severus and then transferred her grip to the belt of Garrick's trousers. The elder wand-maker patted her shoulders and guided her to the back of the shop.

"Okay, here we go," Garrick said, plunking down many wand boxes. "Take your time, my dear. Lift them carefully. If you feel even a little discomfort, put it right back. If you feel warmth, try to wave it. Wands can be fickle. They are like people. Some of them are quite grumpy. Some are friendly, but only one will want to stay with you."

Hermione nodded and lifted out an black lacquered wand with shiny pearl inlay. She startled and put it back. "That one is mean."

Garrick nodded. "Some of them _are_ a bit foul-tempered. Don't let it discourage you."

Hermione picked up a gnarled-looking natural wand that looked as though it were made of driftwood. She pet it a few times, but put it back. "That one is sleeping. Maybe you should tuck him in for the night."

Garrick raised an eyebrow, tucked the wand into the box and closed it. Nodding for her to continue.

The next wand caused Hermione to smile. She pet it a few times, giggling. She waved it, and a burst of warm colour came out of it. Hermione smiled but then she sadly put it back.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Garrick asked.

"He liked me, but he's waiting for someone else," Hermione replied.

Garrick watched her go through many, many wands. She carefully lifted them, sometimes waved them, and then tucked them "back into bed" with an affectionate pat that reminded him of how his own father would treat wands.

Hermione looked rather disappointed when none of the wands seemed right for her. All of them, Garrick thought with amusement, were "waiting for someone else." Oddly, she seemed open enough to know it, and that utterly fascinated him. Wandlore was strong in his family, but he had yet to see it in others. To be fair, people did not bring young children to his shop usually, so perhaps there was something to be said about being open at a young age as well.

"I have an idea," Garrick said. "How about we play a game?"

Hermione perked.

"See those piles of wood, branches, and such over there?"

"Mhm!" Hermione answered. "Why don't you bring me one, but don't just pick anything. Bring me whichever one feels the most right for you."

"Okay! Come on Crooks! Let's go!"

"Mrowl!" Crookshanks replied with a half purr, trotting off after her.

"Familiar bond, yes?" Ollivander asked.

Severus nodded.

"Familiars are a lot like wands," Ollivander said. "I suspected this would prove to be the case. Normally, the young witch or wizard has a wand before finding a familiar, but she acquired the familiar before the wand. I think I will have to craft her wands specifically for her in order for it to work properly."

Severus's eyebrows raised. "Do you require anything of me?"

Garrick shook his head and chuckled. "You have given me such an ample supply of strawberries to make enough strawberry and rhubarb pie to last me for a few months, my friend. Between that and the typical fare I get from the Department of Mysteries for each of your specialty wands, it is not a bother at all."

Severus nodded.

"However," Ollivander said, cocking his head. "If you should run across any rare wand core materials while you are out traveling the world with the young miss, I would certainly not complain should any of them come this way. I will gladly offer partial commission if the exchange should become habitual."

Severus arched a brow. Garrick of all people knew how to catch a Slytherin by their insatiable love for mutually beneficial relationships, especially the profitable kind. "I think she would be pleased to assist you, Mr Ollivander."

"Bah, if we are to be in a profitable partnership, you will call me Garrick," Ollivander scoffed.

"Severus," Severus said, extending his hand.

Garrick shook his hand with a smile. "I look forward to a bright future, Severus, both with you and your daughter, whom I think will end up taking you many grand adventures."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Severus snorted.

Garrick laughed and nodded. "Ah, here she comes."

Hermione came back with a branch in her hands. It was both a light and darker grey with smooth bark along the length but a rougher look about the base of it. "We like this one," Hermione announced.

"Hornbeam branch— ah, supple, but not overly so," Ollivander said. "There is enough here to make one wand, I think—"

Crookshanks jumped up on the table and spit out another branch. "Mrowl!" he said.

"Oh ho!" Garrick laughed. "Apple branch. Very nice wood. One will be your primary wand, and the other will be your secret wand. We shall see which is which once we are finished. Now, the rest is up to me and a little help from your feline friend, if you would be so kind."

Hermione pulled herself up on to the nearby chair. "Crooks likes to help. Do you need to catch a rodent?"

Garrick smiled. "No, my dear. I would very much like two of your friend's very long whiskers in order to make your wand. "Do you think he will be okay with donating them?"

Hermione scrunched her face a little. "I can ask. I don't think he's ever been asked for a whisker." She plunked the cub into her lap and hugged him, a look of serious concentration on her face.

Hermione looked up after a few minutes. "Crooks says okay, but please be gentle."

Garrick smiled. "I will take the utmost care, young lady."

Hermione patted Crookshanks and turned him around so Garrick could place his fingers around his whiskers. He gingerly tugged on each one, seeking loose ones hidden amongst the masses. Crooks wiggled his nose and sneezed, spattering the wandmaker with a light spritz of kitty drool. Four pristine Nundu whiskers landed in his hand.

"He says you can have the extras too," Hermione said, hugging Crooks.

"Mrowl!" Crooks agreed.

"That is most kind of you," Ollivander said with a warm smile. "Thank you, Miss Snape, Mr Crookshanks. Would you like to watch?"

Hermione turned to look at Severus, her eyes pleading for him to say yes.

Severus peered down at her. "I suppose if it is no bother to you, Garrick."

Ollivander shook his head. "No trouble at all. Please, have a seat and you can watch."

Garrick pulled the branch and seemingly random items to himself as he said down. He started with a small whittling knife, carving some areas and leaving other parts natural. His hands worked in a flurry, almost as if spurred on by some supernatural speed.

Hermione raised her hand slowly.

Ollivander chuckled. "You do not have to raise your hand to ask questions here, child. What do you wish to know?"

"How do you know what to carve?"

Garrick flashed his teeth in a smile. "I don't."

Hermione looked confused at that, and Garrick tilted his head. "I let my hands tell me where to go. When I was young, your age, my father had me carve patterns according to specific instructions, but when I became more proficient at it, I learned that it was better if I let the wood tell me what it wanted."

"Like Crookshanks telling me he preferred salmon instead of tuna?" Hermione asked.

"Much like that, yes," Ollivander agreed. He continued to carve without even looking where he was going with the knife, much to Hermione's wide-eyed awe. He moved a piece of sandpaper over the branch, smoothing out some of the edges. "Now is when the real magic happens," he said with a wink.

Hermione stared at the wood intently, waiting expectantly.

Ollivander took his wand and moved it over the Nundu whisker until it glowed a brilliant gold. With complex movements, he carefully guided the glowing whisker into the wand's heart. The air around the wand seemed to vibrate like a purr as a palpable warmth spread through the room. Ollivander made large arching movements with his hand as though he were conducting a symphony, and the glowing core seemed to wave, wriggle, and settle, falling into place where it needed to go. With a twirling motion, he wrapped a tendril of magic around the wood over and over, until the entire length of the wand was glowing with an even golden brilliance. He then lowered his wand with a satisfied grunt.

"There we go," Garrick said after a moment. "First one done. Care to give it a try?"

Hermione nodded with excitement. She picked it up carefully, cradling it in her hands. The branch was long, which had she been eleven may have not seemed so out of place. She held it somewhat awkwardly in her small hand and gave it an experimental swish. A warmth filled the area as a radiant light came out from the end of the wand. It seemed to bounce around in the air like a living thing, shimmering with a sun-like radiance. It then shot around the room, and hundreds of wand boxes went flying off the shelves at high speed, moving in the air without hitting each other. Boxes zoomed by, over, around, and everywhere in between. Hermione squealed as one zoomed by her ear. Crookshanks batted at one as it flew by. The shelves shuddered as box after box rearranged themselves. Then, after a few minutes, the rustling calmed down, and all the wand boxes seemed to have decided on where they wanted to go.

Garrick blinked, staring at the nearby shelf. "Merlin's hat," he whispered.

"Did I do something bad?" Hermione asked, a look of fear on her worried little face. She hugged Crookshanks tightly.

Ollivander grinned broadly. "My dear young lady. That was _fantastic_. For the first time in multiple generations, I think Ollivanders is organised by wood type, wand core, and length."

Hermione's lips quivered, her expression still somewhat unsure.

Ollivander opened his arms. "My dear girl, may I give you a hug?"

Hermione's face lit up. "Okay!" Her fear promptly forgotten, Hermione hopped into Ollivander's open arms and gave him a tight hug.

Ollivander winked at Severus, gently patting Hermione's hair with a gently stroke of his hands. "Now we get to make wand number two!"

* * *

"That didn't hurt at all!" Hermione said with a smile.

"I promised it wouldn't, dear child," Ollivander said. "I've been setting wands into Unspeakables for a long time."

"Does that mean I have to be quiet all the time?" Hermione asked, concerned.

Ollivander chortled. "No, my dear, it simply means you are slightly more prepared than the average witch. But remember, there are good secrets and bad secrets. Just like how you are very clever and you don't speak of your time at the Department of Mysteries, you must always protect the secret of your second wand. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded. "I know. Ammy said there are two kinds of secrets. The good kind protect many people. The bad make you feel icky and usually protect only one person."

Ollivander smiled at her. "You are a very clever young witch," he said.

"Thank you, Mr Ollivander!" Hermione said excitedly. She glomped his waist with a thud.

"You are most welcome, child," Garrick said. "My thanks to you and Crookshanks for the extra whiskers."

Hermione looked down at Crooks who purred and headbutted into Garrick's knee. "Crooks says you're welcome!" She smiled at him warmly. "I say so too!"

"Have a good rest of the day, Miss Snape," Garrick said. "Do stop in and visit me whenever you wish."

"Okay!" Hermione agreed.

"Do you have your wand holster?" Garricks asked.

Hermione nodded, pulling up her sleeve. The custom-made holster clung comfortably to her lower arm.

"Very good," Ollivander praised. It has special magic inside to shrink your wand down to size. Your size, specifically. It will grow as you do. Take care of it, and it will take care of your wand for you."

Hermione pet the holster respectfully. "Yes! I will."

Garrick and Severus exchanged meaningful glances and shook hands. Severus ushered his excited little witch out in front of him

* * *

"Roasted chestnuts, please," Hermione asked, placing her coins on the high counter.

"I'm sorry, little miss," the portly looking man answered her. "Sandwiches and snacks I can do, but my little dragonet isn't roasting today."

"Awwww!" a chain of voices pouted from around the counter.

"Very sorry, my friends," the wizard apologised. "He's been feeling under the weather, and I'm not sure why. Nothing quite beats the real dragonet-roasted chestnuts, though, so I can't just roast them with magic."

Most of the children shuffled off to complain to their parents, but Hermione stuck around. "May I see him? Maybe he needs a pep talk!"

The older wizard smiled at her kindly. "I'm not sure if a pep talk will help him, little miss, but—" he looked at her pleading expression, and he looked up to see Severus and Minerva sitting nearby. Both gave him an amused nod.. "I can introduce you."

Hermione beamed. She looked over to where Severus and Minerva was chatting in the shade of a highly colourful sun umbrella. Severus inclined his head slightly, and Minerva gave her a smile of approval.

"Ach, this here is Donnovan," the wizard said. "Oh, and pardon me. I am Marcus. You need not be standing on formality here." Marcus opened the hatch to a small enclosure under the counter. There was a miniature habitat under the actual counter filled with rocks, running water, and tiny shrubs. Curled up on one of the rocks was Donnovan, a small bronze dragonet with coppery bronze scales that seemed a little dull.

"Does he bite?" Hermione asked.

"Naw, he's a right gentle little guy. I'm not quite sure what's bugging him," Marcus confessed.

"May I take him out?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, but be careful with him. He's not like his much bigger cousins."

"Okay," Hermione said. She put her hand up next to the little dragonet. "Hi! My name is Hermione. Would you like to come out? It's nice and sunny up here."

Donnovan opened his bright copper eyes and yawned, showing his tiny ivory teeth. Slowly, he stepped into her hand.

"Hullo! You are beautiful!" Hermione praised, gently stroking the dragonet over his back. "Are you hungry?"

Donnovan perked, opening his maw wide and obvious, showing a bright orange inner mouth.

"Mr Marcus? May I feed him?"

"Hungry, is he?" Marcus asked. "That's a very good sign. Here, I have some preserved morsels in this tin.

Hermione placed the little dragonet in her lap after she pulled herself into the nearby chair. She struggled to get the tin open, looking like she wanted to use her teeth on it.

"Mrowl?" Crooks commented, standing on his hind legs to sniff the little dragonet.

Donnovan sniffed the Nundu, his tiny tongue flicking to tickle the feline's sensitive nose. Crooks gave him an obligatory slurp and knocked the little dragonet over, but he seemed to like it, wriggling his little legs and wings as he rolled around on Hermione's lap. Severus and Minerva had shuffled up closer, speaking with Marcus as she played with the little dragon.

"She has a soft hand, she does," Marcus praised. "Most little ones bash first and cry later, if you catch my meaning. Then they end up with dragon pox because they get bit or burned."

Hermione gave the tin to Crooks to gnaw on, and the Nundu pried open the lid with his teeth. The tin opened with a _pop_.

"Thanks, Crooks!" Hermione praised, patting the helpful Nundu happily.

She lifted out the pieces of meat and held it out for the dragonet, but Donnovan sniffed them briefly and turned his nose up.

"Aw," Hermione said with a frown. "Is there something else that you want? You can tell me!"

Donnovan looked up at her, placing his front talons on her thumb. Hermione got a serious look of concentration on her face. Hermione looked up at Marcus. "Mr Marcus," she said. "Do you have any chocolate?"

"What?" Marcus asked. "Why no, but the Mrs has a little confection stand right over there. She has different types of chocolate."

"Anything with hot peppers in it?" Hermione asked.

Marcus tilted his head. "I think she does. Why don't you go and ask her?"

"Okay!" Hermione replied, moving to give Donnovan back to Marcus, but the little dragonet clung tightly to her wrist, wrapping his tail around her fingers and refusing to let go.

"It's okay, lass. Just take him with you. Be careful now," Marcus said with a smile.

"Okay, Mr Marcus!" Hermione said. "Come on, Crooks!"

"Mrowl," Crooks replied, trotting after her.

"Mrs Marcus?" Hermione asked, her head barely reaching over the counter.

"Mrs Marcus" chuckled. "No, dear. My name is Callie. My husband is Marcus."

"Oh!" Hermione corrected herself. "Hullo, Mrs Callie."

"Close enough," the witch said with a wink. "How may I help you?"

"Mr Marcus said you might have some chocolate with chilli pepper in it," Hermione said. "It's for her!"

"Oh! That's Donnovan! Wait— _her_?" Callie peered carefully at the dragonet.

Hermione nodded. "She has the bright orange mouth. She's very proud of it, but she's sad because no one seems to care as much as she does."

"How do you know, dear?" Callie asked curiously.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "She said so."

"Oh," Callie gasped. "Well, she's never spoken to me."

Hermione shook her head, somewhat confused.

Callie rummaged around in her trays. "Ah, here we go. It's one of my special truffles. Smooth dark chocolate and chillis with just a hint of sea salt."

Hermione peered at it and then at Donnovan. "What do you think?"

Donnovan opened her mouth widely, showing off her bright orange inner mouth.

"I think we have a sale," Callie mused, handing Hermione the truffle. "Careful now, that truffle is pretty big for such a little lady."

"I will! Thank you, Mrs Callie!" Hermione said, cradling the dragonet and the truffle in opposing hands. She made her way back to the other stand, plopped herself down into the chair, and broke the large truffle into pieces with her tiny hands. She placed all the crumbs into the tin and mixed them together. She held out a truffled piece of meat, and the little dragonet immediately snapped it up, almost taking her fingers.

"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. "Careful. I need my fingers too!"

Donnovan hung her head slightly, but she opened her mouth again, keening as though she were starving.

Hermione inserted more truffle and more meat, and the little dragon snapped it up again, this time much more carefully. She didn't even realise that she had attracted a bit of a small crowd.

Two red-headed children, quite a bit older than she, stepped out of the crowd to stare. "Ooo, that's an Swedish Coppereye!" one boy said excitedly. "They love being around people. Bill, look!"

The other red-headed boy peered down at the little dragonet. "They all look the same to me, Charlie." Despite his words, he seemed just as fascinated.

"Hullo," Hermione said, suddenly noticing that she was being stared at.

"Hi!" Charlie said. "I'm Charlie. This is my brother, Bill."

Hermione looked at them somewhat suspiciously and looked down at Crooks, who was lazily sitting in the shade of the chair. He didn't seem bothered by the two boys' presence at all. Hermione smiled. "I'm Hermione," she said. She held out her hand. "Sorry, my hand is a little messy."

Charlie and Bill didn't seem to mind as they shook her hand.

Donnovan pegged Hermione's finger, keening insistently for more truffle-meat.

Hermione giggled. "Would you like to help me feed her? Her name is Donnovan, and she's feeling under— app-please-inated."

"Underappreciated?" Bill asked.

Hermione nodded.

"I think we could help," the boy said together.

Hermione, all shyness lost, hopped off the chair and sat on the ground, inviting them to sit by her. She placed the tin of truffle encrusted food in the middle. "Watch your fingers. She gets excited."

Charlie pulled a morsel out of the tin and handed it to the dragonet. Donnovan snapped it up, but seemed to take note of where the boy's fingers were.

"I think she needs a girl-name," Hermione said. "Donnovan makes her feel strange."

"I should say so," Charlie scoffed. "She's obviously a girl-dragon."

Donnovan swayed her head back and forth, her tummy finally full. She gave out a loud burp of chocolate-scented flame. Her scales, which had previously seemed dull, were now shining and bright with optimum health. She whirled her copper eyes, closing her eyelids halfway in blissful contentment.

"How about Belladonna?" Bill suggested. "It's a small, pretty, but deadly flower."

"Does it bite people when it's hungry?" Hermione asked.

Bill's eyes widened. "No, thankfully. Not quite like a fanged geranium."

Hermione seemed relieved. "I like it. Do you like it? Belladonna?"

The little dragonet curled herself up between Crookshanks' ears, seemingly content.

"Well, that wasn't disagreement," Charlie commented. "How did you know she wanted chocolate? Most people don't know that about Swedish Coppereyes."

Hermione tilted her head. "She told me." She tapped her temple. "Here, in my head."

Charlie's eyes grew wide with wonder. "Wicked!" He leaned in as if to tell a secret. "I want to be a dragon trainer when I grow up. I'm going to study hard at Hogwarts in the Care of Magical Creatures."

"He's a little obsessed," Bill chuckled, ruffling his brother's hair.

"Hogwarts is the big magical school?" Hermione asked.

"Yup!" Charlie replied. "Up in Scotland. You have to take the train to get there. Bill and I will be going back in Autumn."

"I like magical creatures too," Hermione said pleasantly. She scratched Crooks under the chin.

"I just realised— _Merlin_ ," Bill gasped. "Is that a _Nundu_ cub?"

Hermione nodded. "This is Crookshanks. He's my best friend."

"Wow, can we pet him?"

"Sure, he likes that."

Both boys let the Nundu sniff their hands and then pet him. Crooks flopped on his side, dislodging the dragonet, but she moved and curled up on his side. She rose and fell with the in and out of Crook's breathing.

Crooks purred and gave each boy a raspy lick, causing them to pull back and giggle.

Hermione gently picked up the dragonet. "Are you feeling better, now, Belladonna?" she asked.

The little dragonet burped, smelling like chocolate. She rubbed her face happily against Hermione's fingers.

Hermione looked up to the open chestnut roasting enclosure and frowned. It was too high for her to reach.

"Here, we'll help!" Bill and Charlie said, hoisting her up between them so she could place the little dragonet back into her habitat. The little dragon promptly flew over to the piles of raw chestnuts and began to flame on them, taking time to move them around, turn them, and hit them with her flaming breath again.

Hermione and the boys grinned at each other. Already others were gathering around on the other side of the counter, watching the roasting area from behind the transparent glass.

"Oh, ho!" Marcus boomed. "What have you done? You seem to have put real life back into 'er."

Hermione and the two boys beamed up at him. "We named her Belladonna because she's a girl-dragon."

"Oh?" Marcus said, peering into the enclosure. "I think I can live with that. So what was your secret, little miss? Would you mind sharing?"

Hermione looked up to Severus and Minerva, who had been watching them the entire time. They nodded to her encouragingly. "Mix Mrs Callie's chocolate truffles with chilis into the meat and dust it before feeding it to her. She really likes it. She says it will be good for babies, if she can find a sew-tea-ball mate."

"Suitable?"

"Yes," Hermione confirmed.

"Well, then,"Marcus said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can get her a little company if that is what she wants."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, let's see how she's doing, eh?" Marcus said. He opened the side hatch and plucked out a few of the freshly-roasted chestnuts. He gave one to each child, even the ones standing on the other side of the counter.

The children blew on them to cool them off, but each one took to peeling the roasted treasure to pillage the golden nut within. Their eyes widened with surprise. Children went running back to their parents begging for money to get a bag of chestnuts. Hermione and the two boys seemed to savour the flavour.

"These are wicked!" they exclaimed together.

"These are amazing, Mr Marcus," Hermione praised. The boys nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

Marcus curiously plucked up a chestnut and peeled it, taking a bite. "Holy mother of Merlin," he gushed, his mouth full of chestnut. He shovelled out a bunch of chestnuts onto the tray. "Free samples everyone! Come, sample the best chestnuts in Diagon Alley!"

He filled a few bags of them, handing them to Bill, Charlie, and Hermione. "Here ya go, my young friends. Come visit little Belladonna anytime, eh? I'll be sure to save you a bag of chestnuts anytime you come by."

Each child clutching their bag of chestnuts with hug. "Thank you!" they chimed together.

"Where's your mum?" Bill asked as they plunked down at one of the umbrella tables.

"Mummy-nerva is talking with daddy," Hermione said.

"Eh," Bill sighed. "Our mum is getting our baby sister a couple of new dresses for her birthday. We never get new stuff."

Charlie snorted. "We're not girls."

"What does being a girl have to do with it?" Hermione asked, munching on her chestnuts.

"Nothing, usually, unless you're the only girl in a family full of boys. Ginny's the first female Weasley in generations, according to dad," Bill explained.

"Really? That seems kinda odd," Hermione commented, petting Crookshanks.

Charlie shrugged. "Weasley genetics, dad says. Red hair, freckles, and lots of boys. You probably share some things with your parents, ya?"

Hermione shrugged. "I have daddy's hair and his eyes. We use the same sun cream."

"You do look a little pale, ya?" Bill said.

Hermione flushed, covering her arms.

"No, no," Bill reassured her. "It's okay. Want to see how pale _I_ get during the winter? I bet I'll beat you for the pale contest!"

Hermione looked a little suspicious.

Bill pulled up his sleeve, exposing his pale, unexposed skin. He was so pale that the sun was almost blinding where it reflected.

Hermione reached up to put her hand on his arm, comparing the colour.

"You're just like me underneath!" she said, smiling.

Bill nodded.

"Why are you here without your mummy?"

"Mum really has her hands full," Charlie said. "She let us sit here and get chestnuts because she knows we won't get in trouble like Ron, Ginny and the twins. Percy tries to help, but he usually ends up with mustard smeared over his face or something."

Hermione blinked. "How many brothers do you have?"

Charlie looked upward as he mentally counted. "Er… Well, there is Bill and me, then Percy, then Fred and George, and then Ron. Plus Ginny, of course. But there are six Weasley brothers in all."

Hermione hugged Crookshanks. "I wouldn't want to share my bed with seven other people."

Bill chuckled. "We don't sleep in the same bed."

"Oh, well," Hermione said. "I guess that's okay then."

"And what are you children doing when there is ice cream to be had?" A soft, baritone voice purred.

Bill and Charlie looked up with wide eyes and Hermione's face lit up with excitement.

"Daddy! Look what Mr Marcus gave us!" She thrust the bag of chestnuts into his face. "They taste like chocolate and chilis thanks to Belladonna!"

"Oh?" Severus purred. "I hear that Belladonna is now a very happy dragonet thanks to you. I've been told to take you out to dinner and dessert."

"Mummy coming too?"

"Mmhmm," Severus said. "She went to claim us a table."

Hermione tugged on his sleeve. "Can Charlie and Bill come too?"

Severus eyed the two boys with a guarded expression. "I suppose. They did help you, yes?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

"They must ask their parents for permission," Severus warned. "I will not be accused of abducting other people's children."

"Silly daddy," Hermione scoffed. "You have me and Crooks. We're a handful."

Severus raised a brow. "Indeed."

Bill and Charlie smiled. "Shall we bring mum here to talk to you?"

"I'm sure your mother would appreciate knowing who was taking their sons to dinner. Tell her she is welcome to join us."

"Okay!" The boys scurried off.

"Daddy want a chestnut?" Hermione asked.

"I have already been accosted by Mr Marcus," Severus assured her. "Thank you, though."

"You sure?" Hermione asked.

"Positive," Severus answered.

"Okay, I'm going to put them in your secret pocket in case you change your mind." Hermione announced, shoving the bag of tasty chestnuts into the inner pocket of his robes.

"How is it you know where my secret pocket is?" Severus asked.

Hermione patted his robes. "Shh, it's a secret."

* * *

"Severus," the red-headed witch bit out with narrowed eyes and a tight jaw. "I had no idea you had married."

"I think I would remember getting married, Molly," Severus replied calmly. "Given my so very extensive social life."

"Mummy, mummy," Bill and Charlie tugged on her sleeve. "We can go to dinner now, ya?"

Molly pulled her sons to her even while she tried to balance Ginny in her arms and hold onto Ron with her other arm. "I think we should go home. We don't want to— impose ourselves on," she said with a deliberate pause, " _anyone_. Especially those who would _lie_ about having children—"

Severus, who had been relaxing under the shade of the umbrella until that point, scowled darkly. "Madam, do you think me to be the sort of man to lie about something as life-changing as having a child?"

Molly's face grew as red as her fiery hair. "We both know _exactly_ what you are, Severus."

"I assure you that many of the rumours were just that, baseless rumours that were about as factual as the vapid drivel from Rita Skeeter's gossip column."

Molly's eyes flicked to Severus' arm. "Some things are _not_ rumours."

"I assure you I only drink the blood of virgins, Molly," Severus replied dryly. "And that explains why I haven't had a proper meal in centuries."

Molly's hands went to cover her daughter's ears, but that left Ron without a handler, and he promptly tore off to one of the food stands like a Niffler after a shiny gold galleon.

Their discussion was interrupted by Hermione, who returned with a little owl on her shoulder. "Daddy, daddy, I made a new friend. Her name is Aura."

The little owl hooted excitedly.

"She was stuck in the drainpipe over there!" Hermione said, pointing. "Someone didn't like her very much."

"Oh? Let's clean her off then, shall we?" Severus said, using his wand to clean off his daughter's very muddy hands and arms, robes, and one rather bedraggled and muddified little owl.

Aura hooted with clear relief.

"Owls are very special creatures, Hermione," Severus said. "It is important for us to make sure that no one hasn't lost her by accident."

"In a drain pipe?" Hermione asked, clearly puzzled.

"Even if they— come out of a drain pipe," Severus confirmed.

Hermione looked rather sad at that. "People shouldn't stuff owls in pipes, that's mean."

"I fear there are a lot of things people shouldn't do that they often choose to do anyway," Severus said meaningfully.

"She's really hungry," Hermione said. "She'd really like a nice mouse or a juicy beetle or a moth. She says small birds are good too, but they taste funny in the city."

"Tell you what, Hermione," Severus said. "Let's go visit Eyelops and see if they are missing any owls. She might be missing her friends there, hrm?"

"Okay!" Hermione said.

Aura didn't seem entirely convinced, and she huddled close to Hermione's neck, hiding in her hair.

Hermione set off in a direction and stopped. "Erm, daddy?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Where is eye-lops?"

Severus stood up, holding out his hand. "This way. I'm sure Mrs Weasley wouldn't mind waiting before we go to dinner to take care of this most important mission?" He shot a glance over to a stunned Molly, whose jaw was very much on the ground.

Meanwhile, a young Ronald Weasley had helped himself to an impressive pile of mini-franks and nearly bathed himself in yellow mustard.

"You're totally disgusting," Percy said, his small face screwed up with clear distaste. "I refuse to touch you."

"Wheee!" Ginny exclaimed, babbling in excited toddler-ese just before she stuffed a mustard-coated mini-frank into Molly's ear canal.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, where in Hades did you get _that_?!" Molly cried, having unstuffed her ear.

" _ **GEEEEEEE!"**_ Ginny answered gleefully, not even bothering to use English. She pointed directly at Fred and George. She splatted her yellow mustard-coated hand directly in her mother's horrified face.

Fred and George's eyes grew wide as their mother's face flushed a very dangerous shade of magenta, which as they knew all too well, meant an imminent verbal explosion delivered at exceptionally high volume.

" _ **FRED! GEORGE!"**_

* * *

"This was where you found her?" the young Auror asked Hermione, eying the narrow drain pipe that Aura the owl had previously been trapped inside. The young wizard seemed barely out of school, but he had a warm smile and gentle demeanor that seemed to appeal to Hermione. She had thrust Crooks at him to "test" his acceptability, and Crooks was now draped over his shoulder purring happily.

"Mhmm!" Hermione said. "She couldn't get out, and she was all yucky."

The gutter pipe splurted out a gush of sludgy, muddy-looking water as they watched.

"Ewwwwww," Hermione said.

The young Auror was casting spells around the pipe.

"Find anything there, Oscar?" an older red-headed wizard asked.

"Same guy, Arthur," Oscar replied. "You were right, it wasn't Dark magic, but the trace is the same."

"Thanks for coming out to help me confirm that, Oscar," Arthur thanked him. "I know you had a few other things on your plate today.

Hermione, who had been given a smaller mini-Auror's notebook, was imitating Oscar down to the rapid scribbling motion with his quill. Oscar was watching her from the corner of his eye, smiling in approval.

"It is not a problem, Arthur," Oscar replied. "Hopefully they will believe you now when you say you are ready to tackle something more than simple petty crimes, eh?"

Arthur smiled. "One can only hope."

"Seven children, my friend," Oscar laughed. "I feel I will never be ready for children. I will be a bachelor forever and survive off of nicked condiments and the odd chocolate frog."

"Don't say that too close to my youngest son, mate," Arthur pleaded fervently. "He already has an unholy and unnatural attraction to mustard. I'd like to blame the twins for dunking him in it as a baby, but —" Arthur visibly shuddered.

"Alright, little miss," Oscar said. "Are you ready to take Aura back to her owners? They have been waiting patiently for us to finish up back at Eeylops."

"Do they promise not to stuff her back in a drain pipe?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"They do," Arthur said kindly. "The man who stole her— well, we know him pretty well, unfortunately. He doesn't always think before he does things. Her owners were supposed to pick her up yesterday, but he stole her before they could."

Hermione made a face. "Will you punish him for being so mean to Aura?" Hermione asked.

Oscar nodded firmly. "Yes. We will."

Hermione looked up with a smile. "Okay!"

* * *

"She likes mice, moths, and beetles," Hermione said, handing over the little owl. "Um—and fwogs."

Aura, who had seemed fairly emotionally-detached until that point, hooted excitedly as she recognised her chosen people.

"Aura!" a young boy, perhaps ten or eleven, cried out in happiness. "I knew you would come back!" He pressed his face to the little owl, and she hooted happily in return.

The parents of the boy knelt down to Hermione's level. "Thank you, young lady, for helping bring our Aura back to Aaron. He has had his heart set on taking her to Hogwarts this year, saved up doing odd tasks for people, and picked her out of all the owls here. We thank you."

Hermione smiled at them. "No stuffing Aura in drain pipes."

"We swear it," they promised.

Hermione took their hands and nodded her approval.

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Snape," Hermione answered.

"We will remember your name, Hermione Snape," the boy's parents said together. They stood and shook hands with Severus, Oscar, and Arthur, continuing a chat that lasted for quite some time before they shook hands with the man behind the counter and left.

A screeching noise caught Severus' attention. A young barn owl stared at him from her perch. She bobbed her head, still staring at him with her great dark eyes, and screeched a little lower. Her white, heart-shaped facial disc was accented by a darker brown ring of feathers that crowned her head and then tapered off into both white and brown. She clacked her beak a few times and screeched again.

"Daddy," Hermione said, tugging on his sleeve. "Ceres likes you."

Severus looked toward the owl, curious.

Ceres peered back at him.

"Oh—" Severus said, his face going blank and far off.

Hermione smiled and wandered over to where Oscar was still talking with Arthur.

"Hey, where are you going, young miss?" Oscar asked.

Hermione put her finger to her lips. "Shhh, bonding moment," she replied. "Quiet time."

"You're pretty good with animals," Arthur commented, smiling down at her. "My son, Charlie, likes animals too. Dragons mostly."

Hermione perked, "I met him. He was supposed to come to dinner with me and daddy."

"Oh?" Arthur asked, interested.

Hermione frowned. "We helped Belladonna, the chestnut man's dragonet. Mr Marcus gave us a vow-chair to have dinner together, but Mrs Molly didn't seem to like my daddy very much."

"Hrm, well I see no harm in it," Arthur said. "Tell you what. I will talk to my Molly and we can join you for dinner."

"Are you going to stuff her in a drainpipe?" Hermione asked, suspicious.

Oscar busted up in laughter. "No, little miss. Most adults frown on that sort of thing."

"Okay," Hermione said, smiling.

* * *

"We can't afford to be eating here, Arthur!" Molly fretted, twisting her hands together. "All it does it expose them to things they can't have!"

"Molly, don't fret," Arthur placated. "It's not going to hurt them to have something new every so often."

"Arthur we can't aff—"

Arthur placed his hand over hers. "Molly, I asked the owner if he would take payments so we could have a meal too. He said it was all covered. We won't owe a thing. Let them enjoy themselves for once?"

"What—?" Molly's eyes went wide. "What do you mean it's all covered? I won't let a bloody Death Eater pay for our children's meals— _**OUR**_ meals!"

"Molly," Arthur said, his voice going low and firm. "You listen to me, now. Marcus and Callie Lancaster paid for the saviours of their dragonet, and the creation of a new chocolate-chili chestnut line is what literally paid for our meal tonight. It was a reward for Hermione Snape saving a little dragon and making her happy again. Does that sound like the kind of thing the child of a Death Eater would do?"

"Death Eaters killed my brothers!" Molly hissed furiously, like an angry cat. "I know he is one!"

"Severus didn't, and his child did not either," Arthur said firmly. "She saved a stolen owl stuffed into a drainpipe, Molly. She gave her back to her loving family. Does that sound like the action one would expect of a child raised by blood supremacists?"

"There is no way that sweet child could be his!" Molly insisted determinedly.

Arthur gave her a tired look. "Have you looked at their shared features, Molly? As sure our seven are ours, that little girl is his flesh and blood, and even if she sported blonde hair like a bloody Malfoy, that little girl absolutely adores him."

"Mummy, look!" Hermione cried from the pasties case. "That one is shaped like a dragon!"

"Oh? You're quite right," Minerva answered her.

"It's bigger than Crooks!"

"Can we get a dessert, mummy?" Hermione asked.

"Did you finish your supper?"

Hermione nodded.

Minerva eyed her. "Did Crooks help you?"

Hermione looked away. "Maybe with the bussle spouts."

"Hrm, well, I suppose that is forgivable," Minerva answered. "But, in the future, you should eat at least one of the vegetables on your plate before giving them to Crooks, hrm? And not the tiniest one."

Hermione pondered her words. "Okay, mummy!"

"Okay, which one do you want?" Minerva asked.

Charlie was staring longingly at the dragon-shaped pasty.

Hermione eyed it too but cast her gaze to the golden pasty shaped like a three-headed dog and the one shaped into a mermaid. "That one, mummy." She pointed her finger to the glass.

The woman behind the counter pulled out the large three-headed canine pasty out and handed it to her.

"Thank you!" Hermione said.

"You are welcome," the lady replied before turning to Charlie. "Would you like something?"

"The dragon, please!" Charlie said excitedly.

The woman passed him the pasty, and Charlie practically embraced it all the way back to the table.

Minerva eyed Hermione. "You picked the dog on purpose, didn't you?"

Hermione shrugged. "I like dogs too. Charlie loves dragons."

"That's very logical, my dear," Minerva chuckled.

Hermione broke off one of the pasty's heads and put it to Minerva's mouth. The elder witch mumbled something resembling thanks as she chewed on the decapitated offering.

"One head for mummy, one head for daddy," Hermione counted, "and one for me!"

"Somewhat disturbing but very generous, Hermione," Minerva laughed. "Go on now. Show daddy your prize."

"Okay!" Hermione bounced away to hop into Severus' lap, tore another head off of her pasty, and proceeded to push it against his mouth.

Arthur closed his hand tightly on Molly's. "A child may not always mirror the parent, but if Hermione Snape proves anything, he's clearly doing something right. The only way a little one can grow happy, confident, and secure enough to share is when she has never lacked for love or care in the short time she has been alive. That, Molly, is all we can ever ask for our children. She obviously has that."

Molly's head whipped around as a resounding crash from the nearby counter drew her undivided attention. She gasped and covered her mouth in mute horror when she discovered that Ginny had somehow gotten out of her dress and was parading around the restaurant in her knickers with a large soft pretzel grasped in her hands. She waddled and wrapped her mouth around one bend of the pretzel with no shame at all as Ron dragged her around by the hand. Molly immediately turned to glare at Fred and George, only to discover that her troublesome twins were, for once, quietly eating their pot pies along with Percy.

"Can't blame this one on _us_ , mum," the twins chimed together.

Arthur looked up. "No blame. We're a family, and I love you all."

"Ugh, dad," Percy complained, wrinkling his nose at his father.

The twins kicked him from under the table.

"Ah-ah! No fighting," Arthur warned, and the boys went back to behaving and eating their dinner.

"It'll be fine, Molly," Arthur said, squeezing her hand as his wife buried her scarlet face into his shoulder.

* * *

"Wow, daddy!" exclaimed Hermione. "There is even a room for Crookshanks!

"Mhhmm," Severus chuckled as the Nundu cub proceeded to rub himself all over every object in the room: bedpost, table, end table, coffee table, potions bench, bookshelves, book spine tea service, and wardrobe all.

Satisfied that everything was well and truly marked properly, Crooks flopped onto his Hogwarts-designed cat-tree, looking very much like a leopard in a _Jackkalsbessie_ tree. He surveyed the entire suite of chambers, able to keep tabs on Hermione, Severus, and everyone in-between.

An impromptu Unspeakables party had formed in the new chambers of Severus and Hermione Snape, and they had all helped move quite a bit into his new place. His floo had been hooked up to the Unspeakables' own Secret Floo Network, and it had allowed for a private party that no one else need know about.

The children had gathered in the main chamber, happily taking the time to play games and debrief each other on everything they had learned. All of them thought Hermione had the most exciting week of all, having been adopted and then helped both a dragonet and an owl.

Hedwig socialised with Ceres, the two owls hooting and screeching their sociability as they caught up on the news. A few other of the children's owls head bobbed, hooted, screeched, and joined in the lively social commentary as their chosen people did the same with each other.

"Where _is_ everyone?"

"Isn't this a school?"

"We go to school every morning!"

The children boggled with each other over a school with no students or professors.

"Mr Snape is a professor!"

"Professor Snape!"

The children cheered.

"People who go to school here are off for the summer holidays," Amelia explained. "They don't understand that learning happens all the time. They need a break." She laughed, giving them a wink.

The children whispered together, shaking their heads. "That's no fun!"

"Yeah! If we didn't go to school, we wouldn't learn!"

"And what did we learn today?" Amelia asked.

"Mrs Norris doesn't have a Mr Norris!"

Amelia chuckled. "And?"

"Magical plants have to be stored in special glass that can breathe!"

"Why is that?"

A girl waved her hand wildly.

"Go ahead, Grace."

"Some magical plants and ingredients need exposure to magical energy in order to work effectively in potions."

"Very good, Grace," Amelia praised. "Can we name a few such plants?"

Multiple hands immediately went up.

"Go ahead, Harry."

"Angel's Trumpet and Bubotubers," Harry answered eagerly.

"Good, Harry. Anyone else? Go ahead, Hermione."

"Scurvy grass and Spleenwort," a smiling Hermione answered.

The red-headed boy waved his hand.

"Go ahead, Damien."

"Venom-moss Tarantula leaves," Damien answered.

Amelia smiled. "Very close. Venomous Tentacula. Repeat after me?"

Damien nodded rapidly.

"Ten."

"Ten."

"Tack."

"Tack."

"You-lah."

"You-lah!"

"Tentacula."

"Ten-tack-ula!"

"Great job, Damien," Amelia praised.

"Christening your new place with an impromptu lesson, hrm?" Lucius said to Severus as he passed him an ornate mahogany box.

"Hn," Severus replied. "So, we both get to be teachers, now, hrm?"

Lucius smiled. "You'll be fine, Severus."

"You work with talented children that never once stopped learning," Severus grunted. "I get to work with spoiled little dunderheads who feel they are entitled to have a vacation away from their parents.

"At least you won't be alone here, Severus," Lucius said. "I hear they swore in Minerva already."

"That is quite a relief," Severus agreed. "She's a good woman and a fine witch. She has a great deal more honour than most, and she sees much more than others— far more than they _think_ she does."

"Quite the mum, from what I hear," Lucius said, amused.

Severus' mouth curved upward. "Hermione is the ultimate charmer. Minerva was doomed from the moment that little witch called her 'mummy-nerva'."

"The same could be said of a certain 'daddy-Severus'," Lucius mused, his lips quirking with amusement.

Severus sniffed. "No worse than a certain 'doo-dah'."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "I blame the bloody house-elf for that."

"Yet Draco had no problem at all saying 'mummy'," Severus ribbed.

"Just open your belated housewarming gift," Lucius muttered irritably.

Severus arched a raven brow. He opened the mahogany box and found a scroll with a silver ribbon inside. He unraveled it, his eyes darting across the parchment. "Lucius, this—"

"Is a done deal, Severus," Lucius grunted. "Amelia insisted on adding Misty specifically to help take care of Hermione. She's apparently taken care of her the last five-some years, she's an excellent cook, and Amelia's house-elves just had triplets, so—"

Severus arched a brow.

Lucius shook his head. "Foggy is good with organisation, sorting, and general repair, but he and Dobby simply can't see eye to eye. By that I mean they try to beat each other bloody with rolling pins and cast-iron cookware arguing over who gets to do the laundry. In particular, washing the socks. Dewdrop comes from an estate where the entire family was killed during the war. She was living in the shrubbery and rosebushes around downtown London, scaring the ducks with her wailing. She's really good with gardens, though. She turned that entire brown and dead-looking park into a green paradise. Unfortunately, that attracted many new visitors— Muggles, specifically. She'll be perfect for tending your extensive gardens there in Hogsmeade and keeping your house clean while you are teaching here at Hogwarts. She's one of those elves who really needs a home to take care of, but it doesn't matter if you are there all the time. Besides, Severus, it's about time you had some house-elves of your own. You have good homes now and a little witch who needs you. If that old goat needs you to do things that take you away, you won't have to worry about leaving her alone without supervision either. There will be times when both you and Minerva will be busy at the same time, you know."

Severus sighed. "You are right. Thank you— for your consideration. You know I would argue about this if it was just—"

Lucius put his hand on his shoulder. "Severus, for once, just take a gift for what it is. A _gift_."

Severus shook his head. "Thank you."

Lucius tilted his head. "You are welcome."

* * *

"You look funny, Harry," Hermione said, passing the dish of persimmon pudding. "You looked better with black hair."

Harry let loose a thoroughly mischievous grin. "Ammy gave me a watch so I don't look like 'the Chosen One' when I'm out and about," he said with a giggle.

Hermione tapped him on the head. "No scar anymore either. Healed?"

Harry sighed with relief and nodded. "Healer said in a year it will be completely gone."

Hermione smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Harry."

"You're a Snape now, huh?" Harry asked curiously.

"Uh huh!" she answered.

"You like it?"

"I love my daddy-professor," Hermione confirmed, her eyes lighting up with clear affection.

"I'm glad," Harry replied. "Maybe I can come visit sometime? Get out of the basement for a while."

"You really like it there, don't lie," Hermione said, putting her hand on her tiny hips, mock-scolding him.

Harry smiled. "I do, but I would like to visit you too."

"Oh," Hermione said, promptly setting aside her objection. "Okay! Crooks makes a great pillow. I can let you share him with me."

"Okay!" Harry agreed.

"Psst, Harry," Hermione whispered.

"Hrm?" Harry asked, leaning in.

"Did you decide on a name you liked? Your hidey-name?" Hermione asked.

Harry's brows furrowed. "Not sure. I kind of like Harvey because it's close, ya? Harvey or Harley—I'm still working on the last part."

Hermione smiled. "It's okay, Harry. We have time." She patted him on the shoulder, imitating the adults.

Harry grinned at her. "I just want to be a normal Harry."

"We'll never be normal, Harry," Hermione said. "We're extraordinary!"

The pair giggled together.

Minutes later, Severus and the small group of Unspeakables found the children curled up against Crookshanks, fast asleep, having worn themselves out into naptime on their own. All of them had been equally worn out from all the socialising and learning that had happened while the adults were busy helping Severus move into his new place.

Apparently the new house-elves had already made themselves at home and set to work, having provided each child with a comfy sleeping cushion, a pillow, and a blanket.

"Congratulations on your very first slumber party, Severus," Amelia chuckled, patting him on the shoulder lightly.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.

* * *

 _Internal Memo_

 _To: All Unspeakables_

 _From: Amelia Bones, HBOY_

 _RE: Graded Novice Unspeakables (GNUs)_

 _We have been given permission to have a few of our classes in the upper levels of the Ministry in the Memorial Arboretum, so if you see our GNUs in the upper levels, don't panic! They should always be with their teacher of the day, as per usual. Our cover story is that we are working on active teaching and magic sensitivity training with disadvantaged magical youth. This should keep people from thinking they want their children "in on the special Ministry privileges." I swear to Merlin, most folks don't give a hippogriff's rump about their child's education as long as they get into Hogwarts unless they think someone, somewhere, is gaining something their precious "little darlings" are not._

 _The standard cover is, if you are debriefing any of our GNUs and should gain an unwanted audience is to switch to talking about English grammar and maths until they go away. Be sure to make it as dull and boring as you possibly can. In fact, do your best impression of Professor Binns at Hogwarts, that should do nicely. All of the GNUs have been briefed to complain and describe how "horrible their life is or was" by default if they think someone might be listening to their conversations._

 _Thankfully, all our children seem to find it rather fun making up the utter rubbish and lies of how miserable their lot in life is while knowing just how far from the truth that really is. Write down the best stories you hear and we'll share them during the weekly meetings. The children will love it, and I think you folks will too._

 _Please be sure to remind our children that while misleading others is done to protect the integrity of our organisation from the prying eyes of the likes of Rita Skeeter and some of the shadier upper echelons of the Ministry, they will never be misled by us. We are all family here, and we will always protect each other._

 _On a rather concerning note, DoM staffer Augustus Rookwood suddenly became ill and collapsed during the last meeting and was taken to St Mungo's for treatment. So far, he has not regained consciousness. Some rather disturbing revelations have also arisen from Rookwood's sudden illness, and we will be discussing them at our next weekly debriefing._

 _The meeting will probably go long, but I promise there will be catered food and drink from Grandmum's Kitchen to make it well worth your while. We will be putting the GNUs to bed early for the second half of our meeting._

* * *

 **A/N:** HBOY = Head Boss of You, in case you were curious heh. Heh. heh.


	2. A Witch's and Wizard's Best Friends

**A/N** : March… and it's snowing again. This shouldn't REALLY surprise me. It is still winter and all, but— I was kinda really liking the non-shoveling thing going on for a while. However… this may put a damper on our pesky friends (not) mosquitos.

 _After reading about a 4-year-old that trekked 8 kilometers in -37 degrees Celsius to get to town from her grandparent's cabin in the middle of the Siberian taiga (in order to save her grandmother)— I am CONVINCED that nothing I have child Hermione do is even remotely far fetched._

 **Beta Love:** The Dragon and the Rose, Dutchgirl01, & the Flyby Commander Shepard

* * *

 **A Day in the Life of a Spy**

 **Chapter 2**

 _It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. William Shakespeare_

"Minerva, turning a bunch of children loose in Hogsmeade is just _asking_ for something horrible to happen, either to them or to us," Severus complained.

"Severus, not all children are prepared to blow things up at all times," Minerva chided. "Besides, they have to be third years before they can go, and they have to have a permission slip signed by—"

"Parents who don't have to deal with the inevitable sticky-fingered aftermath."

Minerva shook her head. "Really?"

"While there _are_ some children who are indeed redeemable, Minerva, I am willing to bet that the influx majority of them here at Hogwarts are in dire need of much more than a mere tongue lashing to keep them in line."

"Daddy," Hermione said, tugging on his robes. "Crooks found a funny-smelling plant. It looks wicker."

Minerva smiled. "Wicked, lass."

"Wick-ed," Hermione repeated. Crookshanks mrowled and headbonked Hermione, practically toppling the little girl over.

"Well at least _some_ one has the decency to ask before putting their hands on something," Severus said with a sigh.

Minerva and Severus followed Hermione down near the lake and then beyond to the far side into the reeds. Hermione held onto Crook's fluffy tail, allowing the Nundu cub to guide her back to where she had been.

"Oof, you've been traveling, my dear," Minerva said.

Both adults were grateful that the young witch had Crookshanks, for the young feline never steered her into trouble, and if trouble came her way, being a Nundu tended to sort _that_ out right quick— even if he was only a cub. While they didn't believe she could run around without a chaperone of some sort, Crooks filled the bill more often than not, and she knew the path back "home" to the house outside of Hogsmeade as well as how to get back to Hogwarts without getting _too_ close to the Whomping Willow or annoying the centaurs. All the Unspeakable children knew basic orientation and wayfinding. They also knew that if they did get lost, they were to stay put rather than wander around. More importantly, they followed instructions better than most, having been exposed to protocols on dangerous things since they were old enough to walk.

"Child, you will surely be the death of me," Minerva exclaimed. "Where are you taking us?"

"Just a little further, Mummy-nerva," Hermione said.

"Severus, how are you not getting caught on everything with those robes?"

Severus grunted. "Avid practice."

"How much practice could you possibly have chasing after a child through thick reeds?"

Severus, the corner of his mouth twitching, kept to himself the number of occasions on which Lucius had "lost" Draco on picnics due to the boy's insufferable curiosity.

"Rubbish," Minerva muttered. "Draco never _once_ led you through the reeds on a wild goose chase."

Severus turned slowly to look Minerva in the eye.

"Think you're the _only_ one who had to throw a net over Draco, hrm?"

"It had crossed my mind that Lucius inflicted his son on only a few unfortunates."

Minerva shook her head at him. "I'm not the only one with multiple avenues of experience, lad," she said.

"So what did you do to keep him out of trouble?" Severus asked.

"Threatened to tie him to the Whomping Willow," Minerva said as she glided away.

Severus blinked. He trudged behind her in a hurry. "Wait, what did you _really_ do?"

"What makes you think that wasn't what I did?" Minerva replied

"I refuse to believe an experienced teacher and witch threatened a baby with tying them to a homicidal tree!"

Their discussion was cut short when Severus almost tripped over Crookshanks.

"Mrrrrrl!" Crooks said, giving him the eye.

"What is it, Daddy?" Hermione asked, pointing at the lone, fragile looking flowering plant hidden in the brush. It's bright red and yellow flower and glowing green stems seemed to scream poisonous.

"That, Hermione, is the single best reason you are not like other children your age," Severus said, scooping her up. "That is a Findlestine's Folly."

"Fiddle's ton holly?" Hermione sounded it out.

"Findlestine's Folly is a rare Grecian plant that shares a look-alike said to cure any disease," Severus said. "See how the tips of the yellow petals are red?"

"Mmmhmm!" Hermione said.

"That means it's poisonous," Severus said. "If they petals were black-tipped, it would be the even rarer healing plant."

Hermione peered closely at the colourful plant. "What does this one do?"

"Grecians of myth believed it was the only plant that could turn an animal back into a man if ensorcelled by the sorceress Circe," Severus said.

"But does it really?" Minerva asked.

"Unknown, Minerva," Severus said. "Far more people used it as a poison to care overmuch what did magically. "So much so that it was harvested to the point of this being the first I've seen in or outside of Greece and the Unspeakables' Greenhouses."

"I never spend much time there back in the day," Minerva confessed. "The pollen did something horrible to my feline senses."

Severus pulled out his wand and sent a Patronus zinging away. "Amelia will want to keep this plant alive, and I think you will probably want it off school grounds, yes?"

"Yes, and yes," Minerva said.

"Ummmm," Hermione said, hugging Severus' neck and whispering into his ear. "So, many fiddle hollys bad?"

Severus shifted his weight and hoisted her up. "Yes, Hermione."

"What about the healie ones?" Hermione asked. "Black-tipped yellow pedals."

"Petals, yes," Severus confirmed. "What do you mean 'what about the healie ones'?"

Hermione tugged on his hair and pointed in the other direction. "Those."

Severus and Minerva turned simultaneously, their eyes taking in the smear of bright colour of a sprawling bed of flowers— red and black tipped all. Their jaws dropped as Hermione slid down to the ground as Severus' grip on her loosened in startlement.

Hermione leaned to speak into Crookshanks' ear. "I don't think they saw _those_ , Crooks."

"Mrowl," Crookshanks replied.

* * *

 **Internal Memo**

 **To:** Herbologists, Unspeakables Division

 **From:** Amelia Bones, HBOY

 **RE:** Findlestine's Folly and Snape's Succor

 _One of our GNUs, if you haven't heard this already, has led us to an unheard of find just inside the grounds of Hogwarts. Due to the nature of the plants, which seem to grow in symbiosis. We have both Findlestine's Folly and the legendary healing plant, which had been officially named Snape's Succor by the head herbologist. It stuck. Severus hates it, so unless you want to be punched, do try to not bring it up in his presence. Technically, it was his daughter who found it, thanks to her Nundu familiar. However, the head herbologist thought that Crookshanks' Conundrum was a bit of a mouthful for such a great plant._

 _After a lot of hard work, we have successfully transferred half of the plants to our greenhouses and half to a new greenhouse on Master Snape's Hogsmeade property. We have allowed Professor Sprout of Hogwarts to keep two of the plants in her private collection on the condition that it be kept away from the children at all times. We don't want poisoned kids coming back to bite us on the arse._

 _Worse, we don't want mutant kids turning up to bite us on the arse and unleashing some sort of highly contagious zombie-disease. Just say no._

 _Thanks to those who provided assistance with the move and building a brand-new greenhouse at the drop of a hat. I'm taking us all out to dinner this Friday at Molinari's at seven o'clock sharp. Don't make me bribe you with booze to be there._

 _Amelia Bones (still HBOY)_

* * *

"What are those, Daddy?" Hermione said, frowning at the odd-looking creature dangling from a leaf..

"That is a snail," Severus said. "Looks like Mr Hagrid has quite a few in his garden."

"I ran out of numbers," Hermione said. "I tripped and forgot where I was. There are so many."

"Those are garden snails, which could be a real boon as they can be cooked and eaten. At last they aren't the flesh-eating kind."

"Ewwww," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Quite."

"Want to help me pluck them off the garden before Hagrid loses his cabbages and greens?"

"Okay!"

"Mrrff!" Crooks said, his mouth already full of snails.

"Overachiever," Severus said to the hungry Nundu cub.

"Good Crooks," Hermione said, patting him on the head.

By the time Rubeus Hagrid stumbled in with a boarhound puppy under his arm and a can of something in the other, he stared at Severus and Hermione in dismay like he was guilty of something.

"P-perfessor Snape?" Hagrid stuttered. "Wh— what brings you here?"

"I _live_ here, Hagrid," Severus replied, arching a brow. "I am allowed to wander the grounds, yes?"

"Well, er, yeah," Hagrid replied, stuffing the can of clearly marked slug repellant down by the door and dropping the boarhound puppy in the doorway.

Crookshanks padded up to the boarhound puppy and spat out a fat snail at his feet. The puppy sniffed it curiously and tried to wrap his mouth around it, his teeth clack-clacking on the shell. Crooks shook his head, cracked a shell between his teeth and spat out the remains in front of the puppy. The pup snuffled around the shell and grabbed the exposed snail inside of it, making it disappear. He licked his chops and whuffed, giving Crooks an appreciative lick.

Crookshanks wrinkled his nose and pawed his muzzle in distaste that clearly said, "Ugh, dog drool."

"Hagrid?"

"Er, yes, perfessor?"

"Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of us?"

"Ah, well, erh, no," Hagrid answered, scratching his beard.

As the two adults chatted, Hermione noticed a small furry creature trying to reach one of the snails that was just out of reach of his paws. It had a ducklike bill, grey-blue fur, and perfectly round, shiny eyes.

Hermione plucked the snail off the leaf and gave it to the little creature.

The animal hugged it tight, sticking its bill into the snail's shell and seek the food within, dropping the shell after it found it, swallowing the tasty nugget of snail in seconds.

Hermione stared at it.

It stared back, round eyes expressively asking for more.

Hermione plucked another snail, and it took it excitedly, stuffing its beak into the shell again. There was a soft pop as it sucked the snail out from its shell. The creature licked it's bill, looked around, and then dashed up Hermione's trousers from the inside.

Hermione squeaked in surprise, giggling as it popped up under her hair and snuggled into her neck with a soft purr.

"Okay, there are a lot of snails, but you have to get along with crooks," she said to the little creature.

Crooks leapt up into Hermione's arms and snuffled the new addition. They sniffed and nuzzled each other, bill to muzzle.

"Mrrrl," Crooks purred.

"Crooks says your name should be Fuzzy. I want to call you Wiggles, but Daddy says better to call someone you just met by their honour-riff-tick. So, we'll call you Mr Fuzzywiggles, okay?"

The new and improved Fuzzywiggles squeaked in approval.

"Okay!" Hermione agreed.

Fuzzywiggles squeaked at her.

"Another one? Is your stomach going to explode?"

Mr Fuzzywiggles hung his head and held open his belly pouch, pointing inside it.

Hermione looked dubiously at the small creature. "Okay, but if you burst, you are not allowed to haunt me."

He shook his head at her.

Hermione plucked a few more snails off the plants and gave them to her new friend, and he stuffed them into his belly pouch. Strangely, they disappeared inside without a trace. Hermione picked him up and stuck her hand into his pouch, feeling around. "What do you have in there?"

Mr Fuzzywiggles squeaked in protest, slapping her hands away.

"Sorry," Hermione apologised. "May I please look inside?"

The creature gave her a skeptical look, but nodded.

Hermione carefully opened up the pouch and pulled it open, peering inside. "Ooo! Pretty!"

Hermione closed the pouch and patted it. "Don't let your dinner escape, Mr Fuzzywiggles."

He squeaked at her and dove under her bushy hair, keeping the back of her neck warm.

Hermione giggled.

"Hermione."

Hermione froze. "Yes, daddy?"

Severus knelt beside her. "What is that you have there?"

Hermione wilted. "You won't get mad?"

Severus shook his head. "Not at you, most definitely."

Hermione pulled back her hair, and two round black eyes peered up at Severus.

"That, my dear, is a Niffler," Severus said. "May I?"

"He loves snails," Hermione said. She frowned. "And shiny things."

Severus put out his hand, plunking down a snail on his hand. The young Niffler stepped out and grabbed the snail, looking up at Severus with wide eyes.

"Hello there, my little friend," Severus said. "And what is your name?"

Mr Fuzzywiggles squeaked at him, seemingly a little intimidated.

"This is Mr Fuzzywiggles," Hermione said proudly.

"You may be surprised to know this, Hermione, but Nifflers do not normally reside in Hogwarts," Severus said. "They live in lairs below the ground. Quite deep. The stony ground of Hogwarts tends to be less than ideal. So imagine my surprise in seeing one here in Scotland."

Severus' black eyes went directly to Hagrid, and the visibly nervous half-giant swallowed hard.

"I'll, um, make sure the little guy is taken care of, Perfessor Snape," Hagrid said, moving to pluck the Niffler up and take him.

Mr Fuzzywiggles promptly bit Hagrid's finger and let out a rapid-fire chain of angry squeaks, springing off of Hagrid's thumb and diving back into the safety of Hermione's hair. Hermione immediately hugged Severus' legs tightly, and Crookshanks hissed at Hagrid, his fur standing up on end.

"Mr Hagrid," Severus said with steel in his tone. "I think you've done enough for our little Niffler friend, which I'm sure you can discuss with the Deputy Headmistress at your first opportunity."

"Well, uh, that won't be necessary, perfessor Snape, sir," Hagrid said, backpedaling back to his hut.

Mr Fuzzywiggles poked his head out from Hermione's hair and made a soft phewing sound.

Severus turned and offered a plump snail to the Niffler. "I trust you will control yourself and not touch our things, hrm?"

Fuzzywiggles took the snail and looked up at him in awe. He placed a paw on his finger and nodded. Stuffing the snail into his pouch, he pulled out a very shiny pocket watch and offered it to Severus.

"Daddy, that has initials on it!" She pointed her finger. She squinted. "C— H."

Severus turned the watch over. "So it does." He looked down at the Niffler and his daughter. "It's up to you to teach him what things to leave alone, my daughter."

"Ok!" Hermione said immediately. "Crooks will help."

"Mrrrt!" Crooks agreed.

Fuzzywiggles pulled a giant pink umbrella out of his pouch and it thumped on the ground as it fell.

Severus arched a brow. "I have a feeling I know exactly where Mr Fuzzywiggles has been." He eyed Hagrid's hut with suspicion. Time to tell Minerva what we've learned."

"Yay! Mummy-nerva!" Hermione exclaimed with glee, spinning around on the tips of her feet. "Do you think she's busy today?"

"Minerva is always busy," Severus said with a chuckle.

"Just like Daddy," Hermione said, copying his sniff and cross of arms.

Severus put his hand on Hermione's head and ruffled her hair. "Let's see if we can catch her at an off moment."

"Okay!" Hermione said, taking Severus' hand in hers tightly.

The potion master's expression softened as they both trudged up the path back to Hogwarts with Crooks bouncing around their feet and Mr Fuzzywiggles riding on Hermione's shoulder.

* * *

Severus and Minerva came running when the high-pitched scream from Hermione signalled that something wasn't right. They skid to a halt as they saw Hermione's feet coming out of a suit of armour, Mr Fuzzywiggles dangling from a high chandelier, and one brassed off Nundu who was ripping Peeve's somehow-frozen body to tiny pieces of frozen ectoplasm.

Severus waved his wand, pulling Hermione out of the armour with a clatter of metallic sounds. Minerva floated the distressed Niffler, who had frantically stuffed all the shiny crystals from the chandelier into his pouch, down from the high ceiling.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked as Hermione whimpered and clung to his robes with all the tenacity of a codependent octopus. "What happened?"

Hermione sniffled, hiccupping between words. "He told me he had something to show me, and then he stuffed me into there!"

Severus had an armful of Hermione as he soothed her hair, his face twisted in a pained, awkward expression that seemed caught between sympathy and wrath. He glared at the pile of frozen ectoplasm the Nundu was doing its best to turn into even smaller pieces.

Crookshanks growled viciously, clouds of darkened disease breath coating every piece of the offending Peeves.

Minerva had an armful of terrified Niffler that was trying to bury himself in the folds of her robe and under her arm. "There, there, I've got you, Mr Fuzzywiggles," she placated. She stared at the pieces of Peeves. "I have never seen him stuck in a physical form— Perhaps Peeves is actually non-corporeal and hiding somewhere else in the castle."

A tortured moan came from the pieces of Peeves.

"Or not," Minerva said.

Severus seemed to look less murderous now that Hermione had stopped crying, but he eyed the pieces of Peeves with undisguised loathing.

Crooks, satisfied that he had properly dealt with the poltergeist's body, hiked his leg over the remains and relieved himself. He padded up to Severus and Hermione, mrowling and headbutting, batting at their robes with the clawless swipes of his large paws.

Hermione finally let go of Severus to hug Crooks, giving him a tight hug.

"Mrrt!" Crooks said, tolerating her grip upon his person.

The Bloody Baron, perhaps lured in by the sounds of the scuffle, floated by, eyeing the frozen bits of Peeves with morbid curiosity. "You really _must_ teach me that trick," he said with a twinkle in his ghostly eyes.

"Probably not a wise idea," Severus said. "Consider what he could do if he decided to breathe on you."

The Baron crossed his arms. "I suppose, but I reserve the right to call on his services in the future, just in case this obnoxious troublemaker should happen to thaw out."

Crooks tilted his head and flicked his tail, then gave Hermione a big, rough-tongued slurp upside the face.

"Eee!" Hermione giggled.

Minerva swept up random bits of Peeves with her wand, containing him within a small jar that she happened to have on her person. "Well, Albus will certainly have fun with this one," she said with a tilt of her head.

"Mummy," Hermione said, tugging on her robe.

"Yes, lassie?"

"He won't be mad will he?" Hermione asked. "Eggs wasperated?"

"No dear, he won't be exasperated," Minerva said with a chuckle. "He might even be a bit relieved."

Hermione beamed. "Okay! Crooks was worried." She hugged the Nundu cub as if that explained everything.

"Well, he has nothing to worry about," Minerva said with a wink to Severus.

Hermione snuggled the Nundu cub, and his eyes grew wide with the attention, but he tolerated her, even protesting when she tried to put him down.

Minerva handed Hermione back Mr Fuzzywiggles and smiled at her. "I think your little friend here needs a hug too."

Hermione did her best to hug both at the same time, giggling as the cub and Niffler proceeded to snuffle her mercilessly.

"Whooo," Ceres hooted from Severus' shoulder, seeming to want in on this display of gratuitous affection. He rubbed the owl's feathers and let her nibble his fingers.

"Ceres says she'd really like to have a nice, fresh frog," Hermione said. "She's feeling kinda peckish."

"Well, we can't have that," Severus chuckled. "Shall we feed our furred and feathered friends?"

"Okay!" Hermione agreed.

"Whoo!" Ceres hooted agreeably.

* * *

"I don't know what to do," Lucius said as he watched Draco attempt to pet the Nundu cub and hold his breath at the same time. Hermione was looking at him kind of funny, as though he were some sort of strange new species.

"You don't have to hold your breath," Hermione chided the little boy.

"Whoo," Ceres agreed from her perch.

Mr Fuzzlewiggles spit out a long chain of Niffler-ese that seemed to say "Yeah, what _they_ said."

"Mum won't let me have a familiar," Draco said, pouting.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno," Draco mumbled.

"Maybe she doesn't want you to have just a regular pet," Hermione reasoned. "She thinks having a real familiar would be lots better."

Draco shrugged. "Maybe." He sulked, his lips formed in a pout. "Not fair, even Greg gets pets. Can't take care of them."

Hermione frowned. "Crooks always tells me when he needs something."

Severus shrugged as he turned from the conversation between Hermione and Draco. "Maybe you need give Narcissa some peace of mind, Lucius. Something to ease her paranoia regarding young Draco?"

Lucius frowned. "What would you recommend, old friend?"

Severus rubbed his chin with his fingertips. "A sibling."

Lucius scowled. "We have _tried—_ "

"There are other ways to get a proper sibling, Lucius," Severus said, lifting his hand. "Ways that you very well know."

Lucius' brows knit together.

"Think of all the benefits, Lucius. If you adopt someone from the GNU program, you know they will be well taught. Bring Narcissa in, see who Draco gets along with best, and let _her_ see how well they get along. This may also convince her to allow you to bring Draco into the program. She will get to see firsthand how stable the children are, and since they have to return to the program— she will have someone to send Draco with, hrm?"

Lucius drummed his fingertips together, then cracked a small smile. "You, Severus, are the quintessential Slytherin."

"I would hope so, Lucius," Severus replied dryly. "I was not sorted into Hufflepuff."

Lucius eyed Hermione, who was teaching Draco how teach Mr Fuzzlewiggles how to perform tricks for treats. "And your daughter, Severus? What happens if the hat does not sort her to Slytherin?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I have no doubt that if she wishes to be in Slytherin, the hat will comply with her choice."

Lucius rubbed his snake-headed cane. "It is my devout hope that the old man hasn't found a way to tamper with the old artefact to serve his own purposes."

Severus' eyebrow twitched. "I do not think Albus can mess with her in the way he might _think_ he could," he said.

"How so?" Lucius asked, sighing deeply. "He has always done whatever he bloody well wishes to do. How he so skillfully manipulated Potter and his idiot cronies and somehow made it all disappear being but only one of a great many inexplicable things—"

Severus saved Lucius off. "We cannot change what has been done, but we can inoculate the future with a little wisdom of the past."

Lucius nodded. "She is already so much like you, Severus. Only more cheerful and friendly."

"Then she is nothing like me," Severus quipped.

"Bah, more than you think," Lucius said, tapping his nose with one long index finger. "She'll be wearing high-collared black with an obscene number of buttons soon enough."

Severus scoffed, turning his head. "Idiot."

Lucius' eyes widened as he realised both Draco and Hermione were wearing miniature black robes with high collars and practicing stern faces at each other. "Sooner than you might think, old friend."

Severus' eyebrow arched. "Did you put them up to this?" He eyed Crookshanks and Mr Fuzzlewiggles, who both wore their own set of high-collared robes.

"I swear to you I did not," Lucius said, trying hard not to snicker uncontrollably.

Somehow, the Nundu cub was standing on his rear legs and crossing his forelegs in front of him like a mini-Severus. He even arched a furry eyebrow just so.

Lucius smiled evilly. "You may find, my friend, that they are far more influential than you might believe them to be."

Severus scowled. "I refuse to allow my daughter to get a tattoo."

Lucius put a hand on his shoulder. "You and me both."

"You don't _have_ a daughter," Severus mumbled.

"You know what I mean," Lucius said, snorting. "Not that the kind of tattoo we're both thinking of isn't mutually exclusive."

Severus rubbed his arm uneasily. "Indeed. I'll be happy when we can both remove them. Even with the enhanced skin, I do not like it being on me."

"Give that back! It's _**mine!**_ " Draco yelled, snatching something away from Hermione. His face screwed up into an unkind, unforgiving visage and he cradled something closely to himself.

The two adults immediately turned their heads to see what all the commotion was about. "What is going on here?" Lucius demanded, his walking cane thumping on the floor with a distinctive, irritated thump.

"Draco," he said, letting his son's name hang in the air questioningly.

Hermione gripped Crookshanks tightly and ran, dragging the Nundu cub off to her room, crying her eyes out.

"It's _**her**_ fault!" Draco pouted stubbornly. "You _**always**_ say you shouldn't ever touch what isn't yours!"

Lucius tapped his fingers against the head of his cane. "This is normally true, however, you do not scream at someone for a transgression. That is not appropriate behaviour for a civilised person.

Draco crossed his arms and said nothing. Then after a few minutes, he blurted, "She said it was _**EVIL**_ and that I should _**BURN**_ it!"

"What?" Severus had his wand in his hand almost immediately, and Lucius wasn't far behind.

Draco clutched what was in his hand just as tightly as he could. " _ **No!**_ It's _**mine!**_ "

Severus did a series of wand movements and nodded to Lucius.

"Draco, put that down."

" _ **No!"**_ Draco yelled.

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to give you mother one _more_ reason why you can't ever have friends over?"

Draco immediately paled and dropped a small dragon figurine on the floor with a heavy thump of metal against stone.

"Where did you get this, Draco?" Severus asked, his narrow-eyed expression pinning the boy in place and brokering not a single millimeter of wiggle room.

"A man I met in Diagon Alley said I could have it," Draco said in protest, his eyes fixed on his prize.

Lucius stared at the figurine and cast a spell over it. It flashed a brilliant red as a feeling of overwhelming rage and hatred rolled off it.

Draco gave a startled cry, stumbling backwards and away from it. "Wh-what? Father what _**was**_ that?!"

"Dark magic, my son— the kind that kills."

Draco paled even more and got up and ran towards Hermione's room. "I have to go apologise right now!" The boy zoomed off into the next room and Severus and Lucius exchanged glances.

"Kids," Lucius said, shaking his head ruefully.

Severus stared at the dragon figuring. "This, however, is not child's toy."

Lucius clenched his fist. "Severus, if it were anyone but my son—"

"I'll do it, Lucius," Severus answered. "Better that my Occlumency and Legilimency actually comes in use for a cause more personal."

Lucius touched Severus shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Severus looked toward his daughter's room, hearing giggles and laughter now instead of crying. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," he replied.

* * *

"It's bad, Lucius, but perhaps not in the way you think," Amelia said, handing the pacing wizard a hot cup of tea and gesturing for him to have a seat.

Lucius sat down as Narcissa clutched his hand tightly.

"Are you sure nothing happened to Draco?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

Amelia sighed. "We are monitoring him very carefully, but there no sign that anything has latched onto him. The object was— we aren't certain if the trigger wasn't tripped or some other mechanism. There is a compulsion to keep the thing with you, so it was amazing Hermione got it away from him."

Narcissa looked more worried.

"Don't worry, Lady Malfoy," Amelia assured the worried mother. "Draco will be fine. If anything, this is why we like to team up our GNUs who aren't being fostered like Hermione. They tend to catch things better that way, even _this_ young."

Narcissa wrung her hands and nodded. "This— Hermione? She's okay?"

"She's dutifully teasing Draco out of his shell and introducing him to the other GNUs in the group. I have no doubt whatsoever that Severus ran every single scan on her that he could think of and probably invented a few more just to be absolutely sure."

Narcissa huffed with some amusement. "That sounds like our Severus."

"Severus is one of the most talented of our Dark Arts detectors and unravellers," Amelia said. "What he is trying to figure out is why he didn't detect it, yet somehow Hermione _did_."

"I want to know _why_ no one did!" Lucius snapped. "We should have— how in Merlin's name could a child detect it and yet we could not? The manor's wards should have—"

"It's an exceptionally insidious Dark object," Amelia said. "It was designed to be undetectable— but I think the very magic they used to target children also let it be detectable by children— provided they were looking. Fortunately our GNUs do. We want them to be as safe as possible around the magic they will encounter. Even if most of them aren't able to wield a wand just yet, an apt danger sense is critical around here."

Narcissa clutched Lucius' arm tightly. "Are you saying if Draco hadn't been around another child, it would never have been detected?"

"Not just _any_ child," Lucius pointed out. "A child in the the GNU program."

Narcissa seemed somewhat conflicted. "I believe you tried to tell me that you wanted Draco to become part of it."

Lucius sighed. "Yes."

"You— you taught this girl, this Hermione?"

"I was not her only teacher but yes," Lucius said.

Narcissa seemed thoughtful. "I think I would like to meet Hermione. Would that be okay?"

"I think Severus would really like for you to actually meet his daughter," Lucius mused. "He's been inviting you to his home for weeks now."

Narcissa lifted her head at that. "I— I'm afraid I've been so worried about Draco being unduly influenced by other people—" Narcissa looked at Amelia. "Please don't think ill of me, Madam Bones. Our Draco is all we have!" she exclaimed.

Narcissa stared at Amelia, her knuckles white.

Amelia shook her head. "A good parent always tries their best to protect their children from the evils of the world, Lady Malfoy. But, I would also hope you are not running yourself ragged trying to protect him from every possible danger that may or may _not_ happen."

Narcissa flinched, nodding. "I would really like to meet her."

Amelia ran her hand through one side of her hair. "Tell you what, Lady Malfoy. Why don't you sit in on one of our classes and see them in their own element?"

Narcissa squeezed Lucius' hand tightly. "I'd like that."

* * *

"You— you let _children_ go out in the wilderness alone?" Narcissa fretted, wringing her hands anxiously.

"Narcissa, these children are GNUs," Lucius said, handing her a steaming cup of tea. "They all have a handler with them and they all have familiars with them. Those who don't have a familiar of their own are always teamed up with those who do."

"But— Severus is a father not some handler!"

"He's _both_. If anything he's an even better handler because he's her father."

"How is that—"

" _ **Narcissa!"**_ Lucius scolded his wife sharply. "I do not presume to question your choices of colours and clothing for a soiree, and I will surely thank you not to insinuate that I'm some kind of negligent child abuser just because I'm training young children how not to be _**stupid**_ in an exceedingly dangerous world!"

Narcissa paled at that and stared down at her shaking hands.

Lucius's face softened. "Narcissa, I know you still do not believe that I am good enough to protect our son, but he will be immensely better off in life after learning with these talented young witches and wizards before they have their full adult magic rather than attempting to play catch up afterwards— when magic has become a crutch for him."

"But you said Hermione—"

"Hermione— is _special_." Lucius looked his wife squarely in the eyes. "She came to us with her magic blown open by the kind of severe trauma that would kill most adults let alone children. I cannot even imagine what she must have experienced before the Unspeakables found her. That she is so well-adjusted and able to trust others is a miracle, indeed."

Narcissa rubbed her arms. "I don't want our Draco to disappear just like my sister's baby!" she blurted, a great depth of fear and worry clearly evident in her anxious features.

"Bellatrix would not even permit Rodol—"

" _ **Not Bellatrix!"**_ Narcissa exclaimed.

"But Bellat—" Lucius froze in place, his eyes wide with shock. "Do you mean… _**Andromeda?"**_

Narcissa gave her husband a pained look. "I was there with her on the night she lost the baby. We were talking in the living room and then everything went black. When we woke up the baby was gone, Lucius. You were away being arrested at the time, and by the time I came back to Andy she couldn't even remember having a baby! She didn't even remember being _**married!**_ "

Lucius looked quite uncomfortable. "To be fair, my wife— I'm afraid I don't really remember who Andromeda was married to." Lucius rubbed the area between his eyes with a frown. "It is very strange, as I tend to remember who marries who as a matter of self-defence."

Narcissa scowled. "I know appearances had to be kept because you couldn't be seen supporting a non pureblood marriage, Lucius, but you don't have to put on that show for me."

Lucius tilted his head. "My wife, this is no show. I have no idea what you are talking about."

"How is that even possible?"

Narcissa seemed to search Lucius' face for falsity. "Truly?"

"My lady wife, I would not lie to you on something like children and husbands. You do not speak of Andromeda-not until now. Last I heard, you said she was moving to America."

"But that was before—"

"Before what, Narcissa?" Lucius had a frown that spread across his face and even permeated his eyebrows. A lock of platinum blond hair fell across his face in uncharacteristic rebellion.

"Before Andromeda was pregnant the first time."

"Wait, so you're saying she was pregnant _more_ than once and I still have no memory of it? How is that even _possible_? Why do _you_ remember this?"

Narcissa looked nervous.

"My wife," Lucius said, his knuckles tightening around the head of his walking cane.

Narcissa wrung her hands. "I think Bella did something truly horrible, but when everything happened you were being dragged in front of the Wizengamot to be charged as a Death Eater, our Draco wasn't even born yet, and then Bella herself was sentenced to Azkaban. I never got to _talk_ to her! Part of me didn't want to because I didn't _want_ to know. Bella had laughed when I asked her if she was going to have a child with Rodolphus. Laughed! She said she'd happily tear it out of her own womb and sacrifice it to the Dark Lord before raising any— "defective" sons of the Lestrange family.

Narcissa stared down at her hands. "I was absolutely _terrified,_ Lucius. I was terrified that if I told you anything you didn't specifically ask that it would end up being used against you. That I'd have to raise Draco alone! That you'd be rotting in Azkaban while Draco grew up—"

Lucius sighed. "Narcissa, you knew I was working for the Ministry. You KNEW it! The trial was all to cement my backstory—"

"You are such an eloquent _liar_ , Lucius! You could tell someone the sky was purple and you'd make them believe it. I—" Words failed Narcissa at this point. "I didn't _know_ that you weren't still working for the Dark Lord and thought you were just pretending to be working for the Ministry. And Severus is even worse! He's unreadable as a stone. How can I trust that? How could I _possibly_ —"

"Set the token by Mr Malfoy," Severus' stony voice said as he stood nearby. Hermione rushed up with Crooks and Mr Fuzzywiggles and plunked a large, shiny crystal prism down on the tally table.

The Niffler was reaching out to grab the prism again, but Hermione had a tight grip on the shiny-seeking Niffler. "Uh-uh, Mr Fuzzywiggles. The prism is for Mr Malfoy."

Mr Fuzzywiggles pouted, his bill twisting into a frown. Hermione gave him a large snail, and he squeaked happily, making short, crunchy work of it.

"Next task, Daddy?"

"Mmhmm," he said with a nod. "Show me what you've learned."

"Okay!" Hermione smiled. She looked up into Severus' face and frowned. "Why is daddy sad?"

Severus' black eyes darkened as he squared his jaw. "This is not about me, my dear. This is your test."

"But— Daddy is sad," Hermione said worriedly. "Do you need a hug? Would you like Crookshanks to knead your shoulders and back?" She lifted her arms up to him.

Severus pulled her up into his arms, letting her wrap her arms around his high-collared neck. "No, love. _You_ are all I need."

"And Crooks!" Hermione said.

Severus shot Narcissa a look. "And Crooks. And Mr Fuzzlewiggles."

"Okay, but if Daddy ever needs a hug, just ask, okay?"

Severus' expression softened. "We have a bargain, little one."

Hermione held out her pinkie finger, curling it out towards him.

Severus eyed it with amusement and gently curled his pinky around hers.

Hermione hugged him, strangling him slightly before sliding down on the ground and taking off with Crookshanks. The cub mrowled excitedly as Mr Fuzzywiggles clambered up Severus' robes, gave him a lick along the side of his nose, and slid down again, bouncing after Hermione with a series of excited squeaks.

Severus sighed softly, shaking his head and starting to walk away.

"Severus," Lucius said.

Severus turned back to look at his oldest friend, his face unreadable. The black had swallowed his eyes like ink flowing across surface of rice paper.

"Severus, she didn't mean—"

Severus jaw tightened. "They never do, Lucius," he said, his voice cold and barely above a whisper. He turned on his heels and swept the clearing, his dark robes whipping around his body like a banner in the wind.

Narcissa cradled her head in her palms. "What have I done?" she moaned.

Lucius' jaw ground his teeth together. "Severus has been nothing but a most loyal and dutiful friend our family has ever asked for and did not deserve— and you just let him know in no uncertain terms that you have never trusted him."

Narcissa's eyes pleaded with Lucius to make her faux pas right.

"After telling me that you, my lady wife, of _all_ people, didn't know you could trust me," Lucius said in a steely tone.

"Lucius—"

"Please, Narcissa," Lucius replied. I need to clear my head." The blond wizard waved her off. He gestured to a figure draped entirely in white with an ornate headdress of crystals hanging from their face. "Please watch for the token return," he said softly.

The Unspeakable nodded in silent response, making a hand gesture with his hand.

"I won't be far," Lucius said grimly, as he disappeared into the forest.

Harry and Draco came rushing up to the tally table, each holding a glimmering token. "We got it!" they chimed together, bouncing on their heels as they put the tokens down.

"Salsbury!" Harry cried, jumping into the Unspeakables embrace. "You came to watch us?"

The Unspeakable nodded silently, gesturing with his fingers and hands. Harry had a look of concentration on his face as he gestured back, using similar hand signals. Salsbury corrected a few with by showing him a different sign, and both Harry and Draco tried to mirror it.

Salsbury's headdress tinkled as he slid his talon-like gauntlet finger down Harry's nose and ruffled his hair. Harry grinned and hopped down and clapped Draco on the back. "Come on, let's do the next task. Salsbury says Hermione is ahead of us by a few minutes, and Jessica beat us all by three tasks!"

"Three?!" Draco moaned. "How? You got all that from a bunch of hand waving?"

Harry shook his head. "You'll understand it soon. It takes a few months to get the basics down. Longer when they start flailing around."

Draco sighed. "We better get a move on! Where is father?" He looked around.

Harry made a bunch of signs to Salbury, who signed back in a fluid but slower chain of signs, perhaps for Draco's benefit. Harry shrugged. "You father went for a walk. He'll be back."

"Ok!" Draco waved to the Unspeakable, and Salsbury waved back, his posture radiating amusement even under the cover of the ornate robes of his office.

Harry hugged Salsbury shamelessly and took Draco by the sleeve and dragged him off. "Come on, we have to get moving!"

The boys disappeared again, their silent handler following them as they led the way to their next task.

"Hurry Mr Cumberforth!" Harry said, tugging on the other Unspeakable's robes. "We're behind!"

Narcissa startled as a gryphon kit landed on the table with a scramble of wings and claws, sliding across the tokens to slam into Salsbury. The kit squawked, ending up on his back, flopping, and Salsbury assisted the kit up, rubbing his tummy and his head and earning himself some beaky hugs and wing flops in returned.

"Chirrrrk!" the kit said, spitting out a token and adding it to the pile.

The Unspeakable made a few gestures with his hands, and the kit opened his mouth for a treat. He placed a chicken leg into the gryphon kit's mouth and tapped his beak.

"Chirrrrrrrr," the kit purred and launched off the table back into the forest towards wherever his mistress was, but not before slamrubbing his head into the Unspeakable's chest, slapping his overgrown tail into his headdress a few times to make a tinkling sound.

Salsbury shook his head, but gave the kit an affectionate pat and tug on the tail before the the kit launched off the table. He sorted the tokens into piles and awaited the next delivery.

Narcissa watched with no small amount of awe before her shame returned, and she cradled her head in her hands and let out a low, shaky breath.

* * *

Hermione tugged on Severus' sleeve.

"We have all the tokens," Severus said. "What is troubling you?"

"Crooks says someone needs our help," Hermione said. "In there." She pointed one finger toward the gaping mouth of a dark cave.

"What do we do when we have to make an unplanned stop?"

Hermione remained thoughtful before she pulled Mr Fuzzywiggles to her. He pulled out a shiny notebook with a travel quill out of his pouch and handed it to her. She scribbled on it and put it back into his pouch. She whispered into his ear and gave him a pat, putting all the token into his pouch. Mr Fuzzywiggles rubbed his bill against her face and scurried off into the woods back towards the tally table.

Hermione pulled her wand out from her arm holster and concentrated hard. The first few times, her gestures were awkward or her pronunciation awkward, but she kept at it until the glow from her wand was bright and steady. Glowing runes formed around the cave front, making the entrance with the symbol of the Department of Mystery's traveling sigil. The sigil flickered slightly, but Crookshanks leaned into her leg, and his added stability added to her Weave, and the spell stabilised completely with a warm rush of magic.

"Thank you, Crookies!" Hermione praised, hugging the Nundu cub.

"Mrrrt!" he replied, tail lashing pleasantly.

They looked up at Severus together.

Severus nodded his approval.

Hermione pointed her wand at Crookshanks. "Hold still, Crooks!"

"Mrowl?"

" _Lux inhaereo!"_ she said, her face twisted in utter concentration.

A glowing radiance surrounded Crooks.

"Okay, Crooks! Lead the way!"

"Mrrt!" The Nundu cub bounced ahead, stopping every so often to make sure Hermione was following, and Severus kept up from behind.

* * *

As a handler, Severus knew his role was different than his as a father. He stood behind, watching over Hermione as she pondered solutions to her tasks and executed what she knew. He knew that all the tasks were set at levels each GNU was able to handle with a few that were set higher just to see how well they adapted. This place— this cave— however was not on the plan. Yet, Crookshanks said there was someone in need down within, and ignoring those in need of help overruled other tasks. Fortunately all of Hermione's tasks were done.

Unsure if this was a task that had been planned or not, Severus treated it like it was, acting as her handler and not her superior, being there in case something happened but allowing her to decide what she needed to do. GNUs, unlike most children their age, were not helpless, nor were they imbeciles. Even at such a young age, they excelled in tasks students much older struggled with. Still, even so, he send out a silent Patronus to inform the outposts where they were. just in case it really wasn't a drill and Mr Fuzzywiggles went on walkabout trying to collect all the shinies on the way back. The Niffler was dutiful and meant well, but he was a Niffler. Nifflers were very good at getting distracted by shiny objects.

And shinier objects.

Hermione made her way through the cave as she had been taught: slow, testing steps with soft touches of toe before the weight. She sent her magic through the vines on the wall of the cave, enlarging them so she could use them as a stable place to cling in case something went pear-shaped. She ignored Severus for the most part, knowing that his function at this time was not as a father, and her ability to separate individual roles at such a young age had fascinated the other Unspeakables greatly.

At one point, Crooks startled a cloud of bats, and they swirled around the cavern's spaces in a panicked swirl, but Hermione closed her eyes and put out her arms as though in sun worship. A few bats clung to her fingers and her robes, chittering and then took off. The cloud went back to their roost, leaving Hermione to her task.

Animals and Hermione had always seemed to have a connection. If Crookshanks himself wasn't the perfect example of it— events such as communicating to a cloud of swirling bats surely did. Then, there was Mr Fuzzywiggles and the fact that the Whomping Willow really liked to swing her around in its branches and yet pummel everyone else senseless. Hermione was so greatly open to the natural world. It was only the human animal that she needed protection from. The human animal had left her to die alone in a forest. It was with no small amount of amazement for the Unspeakables marveled that their GNUs had turned out to be as well adjusted as they were. Many of them came from truly deplorable conditions.

Harry had been rescued from a tiny cupboard at his maternal aunt's house— being treated as nothing more than a freakish obligation. Hermione had been abandoned in a wood as a helpless infant. Jessica, who was one of their very best GNU agents, had started her life in a sewer, literally cast away into a run-off pipe by whatever pitiful, piss-arsed excuse for parents she had unfortunately been birthed to. Fortunately for Jessica, she'd bonded to a gryphon kit that became her most stable pillar in life next to their tight-knit Unspeakables family and had grown up to become one of the finest and most well-adjusted young agents they had. All of them had endured a horrible start to life, yet all of them were thriving in their new home.

Much as Severus had, when Amelia had found him sporting a rather nasty black eye in the aftermath of his drunken father's wrath. Hogwarts had been an unmitigated disaster, but he always had two places he knew he could always go: Minerva's office, and through her floo-connected hearth, the very bowels of the DoM. Minerva had always been his pillar, the single place where he _knew_ he'd be safe, even from the predators within her own house. The problem was, there was nothing she could do to save him from what Dumbledore had clearly sanctioned. In fact, Severus was pretty sure Minerva had conveniently "forgotten" some of the things she certainly should have remembered, and some of those things Severus had personally experienced with Dumbledore under the guise of "helping" Lupin remain in school.

"What do you think, Crooks?" Hermione said, feeling a wall with her hands.

"Mrrt." Crooks sniffed, his whiskers twitching.

Hermione felt around, then struck something sharp with her index finger. "Ow!"

She stared at her finger where a jagged rock had cut into her fingers.

"Mrowl!" Crooks licked her finger with his rough, sandpapery tongue, and the skin knit back together almost immediately.

"Aw, thanks Crooks!" Hermione hugged him. "You're the best Nundu ever!"

"Mrrrt!" Crooks agreed.

The wall of the cave cracked where her blood had smeared against the stone, glowing with a aquamarine radiance as it rumbled and slowly began to move, pulling open to reveal a different passageway.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Are you _sure_ we have to go in there, Crooks?" She looked at the Nundu cub dubiously, her eyebrow rising up into her hair in a very Snapian manner.

Crooks headbonked into Hermione's hip and used his head as a lever to push Hermione firmly along.

"Okay, okay!" Hermione complained. "I believe you!"

Hermione worked her way along the inside of the passage, carefully testing her footing each step. Crookshanks patiently tolerated her caution, tail waving as he bound ahead and provided ambient light simultaneously.

At one spot Hermione's foot slipped, and she slid into a crevice. She let out a panicked squeal, her hands flailing frantically. Her arm glowed where the hidden wand was embedded, and she cried out, " _Leg-golly-helpus!_ " Ropes went shooting out, and Crookshanks grabbed one bundle and pulled, his claws digging deep into the stone and earthen floor of the passage.

"Don't let go, Crooks!" Hermione cried.

The Nundu cub scrambled, his jaws tightening around the rope as he struggled and strained.

Severus struggled to remain at the sidelines— sensing his daughter's fear, but also knowing she was capable of pulling herself out. His eyes widened as a large, white, fluffy shape came tumbling out of the crevice with a bunch of rope—

No. That wasn't rope at all.

It was _silk_.

An enormous, fluffy spider with pewter fur and prismatic, rainbow eyes skittered over to the edge of the crevice, rapidly spinning silk from its multiple spinnerets and wrapping it around Crookshanks so the Nundu could help pull her up and out. The Nundu scraped and clawed his way backwards, and the giant, obnoxiously fluffy spider used its front legs to pull Hermione up.

Hermione wheezed as she lay on her back. "Thanks for the team effort, guys!" she breathed, catching her breath. "Oh, you're new." She reached out to pet the oversized spider.

"Hallo!" the spider chimed in a surprisingly feminine tone. "Salutations!"

"I like you," Hermione said, her head falling back on the floor of the cavern. "Are you an Acromantula?"

The spider's eyes shifted colours. "Um... I don't think so. I was much smaller than this before— but you needed help, so I became a lot bigger."

"Thanks!" Hermione said. "Crooks says thanks too."

"Mrowl." Crooks chewed on the silk to untangle himself.

"That's my daddy," Hermione said, pointing into the dark of the cave. "Please don't eat him."

The spider rubbed her front legs together. "Okay!"

"What do I call you?" Hermione asked.

The spider bounced on her eight legs. "Um… I don't really have a name."

Hermione frowned. "Would you like one?"

"How about Arana?" Severus suggested quietly. "It is a Basque name derived from words meaning 'spider' and 'valley'."

Hermione looked at her fluffy new friend.

"Okay! I like it," the spider replied happily.

"Thanks, daddy," Hermione said, grinning. Ignoring protocol, she ran up and flung her arms around Severus' waist and gave him a hug.

Severus' expression softened and he gently patted her head with his pale hand. "You are welcome."

Hermione tugged on Severus' sleeve. "Daddy, I don't think we're in the forest anymore."

Severus tilted his head, unsure what Hermione was really saying.

"It doesn't _feel_ like the forest anymore," she said cryptically.

Severus reached out his hand, splaying his fingers as he "touched" the air around them. His arm glowed softly as his magic resonated.

A low whine and growl heralded the shaking of the cavern walls, and Severus held Hermione close to him until they eased.

"What was _that_ , Daddy?" Her eyes going very wide, Hermione fearfully tightened her grip on Severus.

"Seems like an earthquake," Severus replied, soothing her hair with a reassuring touch.

Hermione swallowed. "Scary." She tugged on his buttons. "Is this still just an exercise? Or is this for _real_?"

Severus frowned. "I do not think this is part of a planned exercise."

Hermione hugged Crooks nervously. "Okay." She squared her shoulders. "Someone in here needs our help." She took in a deep breath and patted Crooks on the head.

Hermione followed the passageway, allowing Crooks to illuminate the path. She kept her hand on the back of Arana, allowing the giant spider to steady her footsteps. Severus followed behind, always watching her back, yet allowing her to be as independent as she was comfortable with. This, he knew, was the foundation of their relationship. In order for her to trust him implicitly, he had to trust _her_ to use the training and abilities that she possessed.

As a father, he had a responsibility to her as well, but theirs would always remain a strange balance of the obligation of professional duty and the obligation of familial endearment. She was so much more than just a student, now. The tendrils of her boundless love and trust wove their tentacles around his heart and held it captive, and he knew it was the same power she had over the beasts.

She did not demand; she asked.

She did not subjugate; she trusted.

And the very core of her magic seemed to flux with a sort of strange weave of need and desire, changing her intent into the power of magic. She could use a wand, even now, but even the most basic of spells seemed to do what it was that she wanted or needed rather than what she was actually saying. " _Leg-golly-helpus!"_ had grown a giant spider to help pull her out of a crevice— a helpful, fluffy, rainbow-eyed, and cheerful giant spider that he had no doubt she would be cuddling with when bedtime came around.

How she was able to charm seemingly every kind of animal around, from arachnid to Niffler, remained a mystery.

The tunnels seemed to go on forever. Whatever place they were going was apparently buried under miles of long, twisting passageways. The air seemed thicker, almost heavy, and weighed every step with an almost oppressive force. The echo of a deep growl traveled through the caverns. Hermione paused with each one, fearful and nervous, but also emboldened by her companions. Every so often she would look silently back to him, square up her shoulders, and turn up her chin, plunging forth with newfound bravery. She tried not to rely on his presence, but he knew she was checking— much the way that one would rely on a trusted partner. In the future she would often have to rely on herself, but it was not uncommon for Unspeakables to be paired with complementary partners. One day, she may rely on some of _them_ to watch her back— well, provided they could get past her quickly growing bodyguard menagerie.

Severus' lips curved up slightly. And him— and quite possibly Lucius as well. Minerva would be like a battle-cat lioness on the warpath to protect her cub. He flinched. Narcissa, however, was another matter. Even after so many years, she didn't trust him, and it seemed as though she didn't fully trust Lucius either. Her incredibly intense, downright paranoid sense of protectiveness over Draco seemed ridiculously over the top. Was it because of her distrust for her own husband and the company he kept— _supposedly_ kept? What did she really think of him, the half-blood, less-than-pure agent of the Dark Lord? Did she seriously think that brand on his arm was _real_? What about her husband's?

Severus knew that the Unspeakable life was more than just a mere job. It was a _life_. It required trust, not only between those that worked together but also trust between the wives, husbands, and those that were left at home. Those like Lucius would need to rely on a trusting partner in life to be able to go home and relax at night. Severus had never had the luxury of being able to come home to a friend, let alone a family— until now.

Hermione had stopped a few yards in front of him, her head cocked as though listening to something. Another, louder growl heralded the following shaking, and Hermione hugged Arana tightly. The giant spider made a soft purring sound and wrapped a leg around the tiny witch.

Hermione took in a deep breath and kept going, dragging her fingers along the wall with a whisper of the marking magic all the children had been taught— breadcrumbs in case something happened or she needed to backtrack her way back. They all used it, each GNU having an almost paranoid need to be found in case something bad happened. For children, they had a surprising well-rooted sense of what it meant to not to be found, and they did their level best to avoid actions that could lead to them being left behind, unfound, or worse— believed that they _wanted_ to be gone.

Each of the GNUs had been significantly damaged as young children. Thankfully, the program was mother and father and family to them all, filling that empty brokenness caused by so many different sorts of neglect. Severus too, had been saved by the program. It had been later in life, but Severus knew that part of the reason he hadn't been brought in sooner was because his mother had done everything in her power to cover up the damage, conceal the bruises, and dampen the magic. His magic, too, hadn't been left out of her desperate attempts to make them seem a _normal_ family— a family where the father _didn't_ mercilessly beat his own wife and child, get rip-roaringly smashed on cheap booze, only to finally pass out in a pool of his own foul, drunken vomit. .

Amelia had been so very angry when she'd finally found out what was going on—again, Minerva had been the one who had brought him to safety. Amelia had taken him in, seen to it that he was clothed in more than rags, put into an apprenticeship, and most importantly given him a safe place to be that wasn't anywhere _near_ Spinner's End. Severus got off the train coming from Hogwarts and was immediately escorted to his new "home" in the DoM. The Unspeakables had apparently cornered his mother about the situation at home, and she had denied the accusations that her home was unsafe for a child and demanded Severus be brought back home to her.

The memory vials had eloquently proven otherwise, and his mother was promptly brought in front of the Wizengamot to arrange making Severus a ward of the DoM. It hadn't taken much once the glamour on his mother's black eye and broken arm had been neutralised. Severus, for the first time in his life, had a truly safe home to live in and come home to. He had known better than to owl his mother. No regular post was safe from his father. Nothing was _ever_ safe from his father.

"Daddy, I think he's in pain," Hermione's said, breaking him out of his depressing reverie.

Severus rushed forward, and Hermione hugged his leg for reassurance.

"I want to help him, but he's really angry right now," Hermione said, grasping his robes and pulling herself up close to him. "Really, _really_ angry."

Severus frowned and looked into the cavern. Crookshanks was frozen in place, barely moving save for a flick of the tail or a twitch of a whisker. He stared intently into the darkness beyond his light radius. As his eyes adjusted to both the light and the dark beyond, Severus made out the form of a giant wolf bound in what looked like fine jewelry chain. A sword was thrust between its jaws, rather like someone would pitch a tent, standing at attention to keep the wolf's mouth from closing.

"If you'd stop being so scary, I could _help_ you!" Hermione told the wolf, her small fingers latching around Severus' collar.

The wolf, sword in mouth, managed to snarl viciously in response.

Hermione pulled her head out of Severus' hair. "That's not a nice thing to say about Mummy-nerva! You take that back _**right now!**_ "

The wolf, mid-snarl, paused, seemingly unsure of how to respond to the little girl's chastisement.

"You can _understand_ him?" Severus asked, visibly astonished.

"He's very wude," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose in clear distaste. She whispered into his ear, "He says all the things you tell us _not_ to say. Like buck few and up fors."

Severus' eyebrow lifted. "Positively ghastly."

Hermione nodded her agreement. She slid down off Severus' robes and faced the wolf. "Now if you really want help, you have to say the magic word," Hermione stated firmly, tilting her head just so like a Malfoy.

Severus made a mental note to tell Lucius to stop being such a terrible role model around his Hermione.

The wolf growled, much softer this time, and then gave an even softer sort of whine-growl.

"You swear?"

The wolf growled.

"Not _that_ kind of swear," Hermione said, putting her hands on her hips and scowling at the foul-mouthed wolf.

The wolf's ears flattened back on his head, and he whine-growled in response.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I'm not the one wrapped up in chains with a sword in my mouth," she said. She crossed her small arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.

The wolf's ears flicked forward and then backward, flattening against his skull. His jaws worked slightly, and he whined as the sword dug deeper into his tender mouth.

"If you let us help, we could get that sword out of your mouth," Hermione said, her expression pouty. "Yelling and being rude isn't going to help you. Daddy says being wude doesn't help you make friends."

The wolf's fur lost its bristle brush appearance, and he made a softer whine.

Hermione tugged on Severus' sleeve. "Help me take off the chains? He promises not to bite."

Severus seemed wary. "A giant beast chained in a cave. How can you trust that?"

Hermione tugged on him a little harder. "He _promised_ , Daddy. You'd want someone to believe you if you promised, right?"

"Did he promise you, or am I covered under this statement as well?"

Hermione frowned. "You promise to not hurt my daddy and my friends?"

Crookshanks and the giant spider stood side-by-side, studying at the giant wolf rather warily. Crooks licked his teeth, and the spider bounced up and down on all eight legs, making excited commentary in chittering noises.

Hermione looked up to Severus. "He promises, Daddy. On rag-ner-hock."

Severus' eyebrows went up into his hair. "Ragnarök?"

Hermione nodded. "It sounds better when _he_ says it," she said, pointing to the wolf. "He has a really neat accent."

Severus fidgeted. "Fenrisúlfr?"

The wolf immediately perked his ears forward, and his eyes met Severus'. His golden eyes glowed softly.

"I will hold you to your Oath, Fenrisúlfr," Severus said after a moment. "You are said to be honourable. I would hate to learn otherwise through the breaking of a the heart of a young girl."

The wolf flattened his ears, but his tail beat on the ground, causing the cavern walls to shake.

Hermione looked up at him. "Okay, Daddy?"

Severus was silent for a moment. "I will help you."

"Thanks, Daddy!" Hermione said, grinning. She approached the wolf with great confidence. She lay her hands on his muzzle and soothed the softer fur there. "I'm going to pull this out. Don't bite me okay, Fen?"

"Rrrrrufff," he replied.

She grasped the hilt of the sword and had to plant her small feet against Fenrisúlfr's chest in order to pry it loose. She made a low grunt of effort and a squeal as the sword went clattering off onto the floor of the cavern, and the wolf's jaws went together with a loud _**clack**_.

Hermione giggled and laughed as the wolf's nose hit her in her most ticklish spots, her belly and armpits, his tongue sliding over her face and arms in a clear expression of gratitude. She wriggled and thrashed, trying to push his head away, but he was having none of it.

Slurp.

Slurp!

 _ **SLURP!**_

Wet nose and lupine tongue covered the little witch with a fine layer of wolfish drool. Hermione tugged at the chains. "I need— Fen, _**stop**_ — I can't get them off if— _**ehehehehehehehehe!**_ "

Hermione squirmed and giggled. She wrapped her hands around the chain to pull herself up, and the chain went completely slack, sending her and Severus tumbling backwards into the cavern dirt in a flurry of fabric and flailing limbs just before a warm rush of alien magic filled the cavern.

Fenrisúlfr's body seemed to radiate pure energy, his body growing even bigger. There was a sudden roar of magic and the low, thunderous howl. The walls shook, rubble fell, and the ground lurched underneath them before everything went black.

* * *

Severus woke to a wet, slurping welcome and the sound of Hermione giggling from atop the giant wolf's back. Crookshanks was looking on forlornly, meowing as his rear end wiggled as a precursor for leaping up to join her.

"Come on, Crooksie," Hermione called, patting the area in front of her.

 _ **Thump!**_

Crooks settled himself in front of her.

Severus grunted, grimacing as his hand came back coated in wolf drool. "Thanks," he said, his nose scrunching up in distaste.

Fenrisúlfr panted and pegged Severus right between the eyes with his lolling tongue.

"Ugh," the wizard mumbled, shoving the happy unincarcerated animal away from his person.

"Rrrrr," Fenrisúlfr said bounding down another passage with Hermione and Crooks clinging to his back. Arana skittered behind in a rustle of long, speedy legs.

"Come _**on**_ , Daddy! Fen says he's not the only one needing our help!"

"We just released the World Wolf unto Earth. What could _possibly_ go wrong?" Severus muttered to himself as he followed his highly-excited daughter.

The tunnels wove and wound deep into the earth, and the air soon became much thinner. Hermione tugged on Fenrisúlfr's ear. "Wait, Fen! It's really hard to breathe in here."

She hugged Crookshanks to herself, fighting to catch her breath.

Severus rushed up, casting a bubblehead charm on himself as ran to her side. He assessed to see if Fenrisúlfr or Crooks were having issues, but neither they or the spider seemed to be in any kind of distress. Hermione reached out to Severus, pulling on his buttons.

"It's hard to breathe, Daddy," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"Remember that spell we said we wait until you were older?" Severus asked.

Hermione nodded.

"We're not waiting until you are older. Come here," he said, beckoning her closer.

Hermione hopped down and came to him.

"I know it's hard to concentrate when you can't focus. Breathing is really hard to ignore, yes?" Severus allowed her to hang on his arm as she nodded.

Hermione looked up at him, trying to pay attention.

"This is an important lesson," Severus said. "You must be able to cast a spell when you are in trouble. You must be able to think even when can't breathe."

Hermione nodded. Her breaths were coming quickly, but she wasn't in pure distress. It was enough to unfocus her, but not completely derail her.

"The movement goes like this," Severus said, waving his wand in a specific motion.

Hermione mimicked it, but she was slightly off. Severus corrected, and she did it again. She struggled to focus on the task at hand, her eyes focusing on his movement and refusing to go elsewhere. She had a method, Severus knew, even for a child of six, but no child of the GNU program was a typical example of the age. All of them were more than a little talented and had more than a small amount of talent even as children. Some even had dangerous talent that had to be controlled early lest they hurt others without intending it.

Hermione, however— he knew that she had a great strength of will that, when properly trained, would make her capable of great things when she wished it to happen. It simply had to be encouraged, nurtured, guided, and carefully honed.

Severus gave her the incantation, carefully enunciating each syllable until she could repeat them all flawlessly. Then, they said it together. Finally, he had her raise her wand and try it herself.

A rush of warm magic flared, and a bubble-shaped remarkably like Crookshanks' head formed over Hermione's small head.

Hermione looked at Severus hopefully, her breathing quickly becoming easier and less laboured.

Severus tried not to laugh as he held up the mirror he'd quickly conjured.

Hermione squealed happily and hugged him tight before celebrating her new spell by putting Crooks-shaped bubbles over Fenrisúlfr's, Crookshanks', and Arana's heads as well. Each one was shaped a little different; one looked like an aubergine. One looked like a pumpkin, and finally the last one looked like a bubble.

They worked, though, and that was what mattered most to Severus.

Hermione climbed back on Fen's back, the wolf patiently lowering his front end so she could pull herself up and over his furry back. Hermione checked her legs and that Crooks was safely up and then sat up straight.

Fen, feeling the subtle cues of her leg movements, stood and trotted down the passage again. Yet, even as he trotted down the path, his ears swiveled backwards to keep tabs on Severus, and he slowed down when he got too far behind. About a half hour of walking brought them into the dark depths of the earth, they came to a chamber so overrun with gnarled vines and dried roots that looked as though they had survived a massive forest fire. The area was littered in leaves and stones, all charred by heat. There were no flames present, but the air seemed to be on fire simply due the sudden, sharp rise in temperature.

Severus waved his wand, not waiting to teach, bringing the temperature down as well as dousing the area in a spray of water. He threw up a shield to protect them from the superheated steam. When the steam cleared, a strange transformation took over the charred roots and gnarled vines. They began to bloom and turn green again instantaneously. Flowers glowed, filling the room with a strange, vibrant radiance. Even the floor of the cavern came to life, filling with lush, moss-like vegetation.

"Pretty!" exclaimed Hermione, hopping off of Fenrisúlfr for a closer look.

The giant wolf whined and stared fixedly at one particularly overgrown area.

"What is it, Fen? He's in _there_?" Hermione tugged insistently on Severus' sleeve. "Daddy, Fen says he needs our help."

Severus waved his wand and frowned, the glow from his wand turning a pale and sickly green. "Stand behind me, Hermione."

The little witch obeyed, hugging his leg and hiding under his outer robes, using them as both a curtain and a shield.

Severus cast a series of incantations, and the newly grown plants and vines moved away, pulling themselves aside to reveal the body of an emaciated young man lying tightly bound to a boulder. He hung by his wrists, wrapped in what looked like catgut.

 _ **Hissssss!**_

A giant serpent, its coils wrapped around the branch of the roots above, struck outwards. Venom dripped from its mouth, and the moment it touched the man's body, his thin body arched and writhed as he screamed in agony. The caverns trembled and shook from floor to ceiling. Rocks cracked, crumbling around them. Dirt, broken bits of roots and other debris spilled down from the roof of the cavern. The annoyed serpent struck out again, seemingly so irritated that it didn't care where it was striking as long as it hit someone or some _thing_. Its angry hisses were punctuated with stray drips of venom and more violent earthshaking.

Hermione came out from hiding. "Stop it! Temper tantrums don't get you ice cream!"

Startled, the serpent froze in place, eyes staring at the little witch, its tongue flicking in and out.

"Of course I can understand you," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms. "You are very loud and very wude. Worse than Fen."

Fen browled, flattening his ears.

"Sorry, Fen, but you _were_ pretty wude," Hermione said, gently petting his ears.

Crooks and Arana nodded together in agreement.

Fen drooped his ears and tucked his tail between his legs.

The serpent curled up around the branch, seemingly in contemplation.

Hermione put her arms around Crook's neck, snuggling into his warm fur. "Why are you here? Do you have a name? Is that your branch? Your tear-a-tori? Is _that_ why you're so angry?"

The serpent coiled even more tightly around itself, its tongue flicking thoughtfully.

Hermione frowned. "Everyone has a name. That's silly. Isn't there _some_ thing you want to be called?"

Hermione rubbed her arms with her hands. "Tore-ture isn't very nice. What did he ever do to you?"

The snake hung his head over the branch.

"Daddy says just because someone tells me to stick my head in a cauldron doesn't mean I should," Hermione told the snake. "If _you_ don't want to be here— and _he_ doesn't want to be here, then _why_ are you still here?"

The serpent flicked his tongue rapidly.

Hermione frowned and hugged Arana's legs. "She doesn't sound like a very good miss-truss to me. I would never ask Crookshanks or any of my friends to go sit in a cave and watch over someone and never come check on them. Even partners take care of each other better than that. Daddy would never ask me to sit in my room forever."

The serpent's venom dripped, but this time it landed on the cavern floor instead of over the bound man. It hissed softly.

Hermione looked up at Severus and back at the snake. "I'd be your friend, but you have to promise not to dribble on the people I care about." Hermione looked at the bound man. "Or him. He's had enough." She crossed her arms tightly, brokering no exceptions despite her much smaller stature.

The serpent looked to the man below and then to the very small but determined little witch. The snake's scales were pale, glistening as though moonlight reflected off each one. Its eyes were glazed over with clouded, dry skin obscuring the lens.

"Okay, if you promises, I will put my hands out for you."

The serpent flicked his tongue and slowly extended itself off the branch, seemingly nervous about leaving its secure (and known) safe place. It slumped itself off, slowly unfurling its coils as it eased over towards Hermione's outstretched hands. Tongue flicking against her fingers, Hermione stifled a giggle, and it slid into her hands, down her arms, and practically oozed down and up her arms, seemingly relishing her body heat. It curled around her neck and vanished, leaving behind an intricate and ornate serpent-shaped tattoo on her skin, leading from the tip of her middle finger, up her arm, and around her neck like a choker.

Hermione giggled. "That tickles!"

Severus waved his wand over her. "Hermione? You are well? Bargaining with another on your own is risky."

Hermione hugged his waist. "He was pretty wude, but he was way more lonely."

Severus' face softened. "You have a very powerful gift, Hermione. Just remember to seek another's counsel whenever a decision is not easy. Okay?"

Hermione frowned. "Are you mad at me?"

"Not mad," he replied honestly. "Just worried."

Hermione hugged him as he knelt, seeking comfort from his embrace. "Promise?"

Severus ruffled her hair. "I promise that I am not angry with you.

Hermione pet his arm in a comforting motion. "Okay. Can we help the man now?"

"Let's," Severus agreed, setting her gently down on her feet. His eyes looked over the bindings and the stone the man was bound to. "This is no ordinary cord. See how its making is not woven? What do you do before you touch?"

Hermione scrunched her face. "E-value-ate and assess."

Severus nodded. "And what do we do when we evaluate and assess?"

Hermione thought harder, scratching her head idly as she did so. "We poke it! With our wand!" She pulled out her wand.

Severus tilted his head thoughtfully. "We do _**not**_ poke things with our wands, Hermione."

"With our fingers?"

Severus shook his head.

"With our spells!" Hermione said.

Severus nodded. He held out his wand and Hermione mimicked him, mirroring every motion. He spoke the incantation, and she carefully repeated him. Her wand slowly took on the same glow as his. He showed her how to guide the magic to the bound man. The glow went from a soft blue to a pale green.

Severus pulled out a sealed flask from his robes. "The serpent's venom is still burning him. Be very careful to not touch his skin, Hermione."

"But how are we going to move him, daddy?" Hermione asked.

"We'll be able to soon, I just have to neutralise the venom first." He poured the flask over the man's prone body, and a low hiss sounded as the liquid touched his body. Steam rose, but the pale yellow-green venom trailed off into the earth.

Deep, raw, angry-looking welts carved into the man's skin marked where the venom had done the most damage, no doubt causing him tremendous agony.

Severus pulled a roll of bandages out from his inner pocket and unrolled them, carefully binding the wounds with a loose wrapping of gauze. He poured more potion over them. Soon, it became clear that a lot more wrappings were needed.

"I can help!" Arana chittered, using her back legs to spin silk into a loosely woven but strong bandage.

"Thank you," Severus said, startled by the talking spider but also by the creature's kindness and generosity. He continued to bind the wounds and apply the potion, knowing the danger in touching the victim had passed.

Hermione tugged on the strange bindings, and as her hands touched the strange material, it crackled and fell away, sending her tumbling backwards with a yelp.

Fenrisúlfr and Crooks dove for her, but it was Arana that caught her with her front legs and a few quickly spun strands of thick silk.

"Thank you," Hermione said, patting the spider between the eyes. Arana chittered in appreciation.

Severus lunged forward, casting a hasty series of spells as the victim tumbled from his suspended position towards the unforgiving ground. Just before he hit dirt and stone, his body slowed and hovered slightly above. Severus' eyes widened slightly and he let out a low breath of relief. "You okay, Hermione?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Hermione answered. "Arana caught me."

"Browl."

"Mrrt!"

"Fen and Crooks helped."

Severus smirked, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "Do you have your PortKey?"

Hermione nodded, pulling a stone out from around her neck.

"Let's gather around him then," Severus said, holding one hand over the victim's body and one out for Hermione. Hermione put her hand in his.

"Everyone link up!" Hermione said. Crooks leaned on her leg. Fen set his huge head over hers, and Arana drapped four out of eight legs over the little witch.

Severus checked to make sure everyone was touching and then nodded to Hermione.

"Mummy-nerva knows best because Gryffindor is _**awesome!**_ " Hermione yelled brightly.

Severus' face twisted in disgust as the Portkey yanked them all back to safety. "We're definitely getting you a new Portkey."

* * *

"Whoa!"

" _ **WICKED!"**_

The serpent poked his head out from Hermione's hair, its tongue flicking., tasting the air rather nervously. He eyed the plump mouse Hedwig had caught.

"Scree?" Hedwig said, shifting her weight and eying the serpent in the girl's hair.

"Hedwig says he can have the mouse," Harry said.

"I have to put this ointment on him to help him shed," Hermione said. "Daddy made it, but Madam Pomfrey said he'd need it a few times a day until he sheds."

She rubbed her hands with it and held them out. The serpent slithered into her hands and allowed her to coat his dry scales with the balm. His tongue flicked out lazily as she rubbed him over.

Draco peered at the serpent, and the serpent's tongue flicked, eyes unfocused.

"Careful, he doesn't see very well yet," Hermione said. "He gets cranky."

Draco pulled his head back.

Hermione took the dead mouse from Harry and gently stroked the serpent's head. "Here you go."

The serpent opened his mouth in invitation, and Hermione placed it inside so he could feel it. His fangs dug into it and he swallowed it, dislocating his jaw just enough to make the swallowing easier. Draco and Harry used Arana as a spider-pillow, propping themselves up against the giant, fluffy arachnid. She coo-chittered in approval and allowed them to snuggle into her warm fur.

"Daddy says that being so hot in the depths of the earth messed up his pit scentors," Hermione said, wrinkling her brow as she tried to remember the right word. She ran her fingers across the snake's heat-sensing pit organ that lay between his nostrils and the eyes. The serpent rubbed himself against her fingers, seemingly enjoying her touch. There was a patch of almost-shed skin on his head, and Hermione picked at it, pulling off the bit for her friend.

"Can we help?" Draco asked.

"Sure, but ask first," Hermione said.

"May we help you?" Draco asked.

Harry got a look of concentration on his face and said something, but it came out as a strange mash of hissing speech.

The serpent raised his head as Harry spoke, tongue flicking.

"He said 'okay'," Hermione said.

"I— I _understood_ him!" Harry said excitedly. He winced and rubbed the scar on his head. He looked up and smiled, even so, reassuring his friends.

"That's great, Harry!" Hermione said, soothing the serpent over its head.

They all shared the duty of rubbing balm on and helping the serpent shed his itchy patches. The happy serpent even rolled over, exposing his belly scales for attention. The bump where his recent dinner lay peacefully digesting stood out clearly against his much more slender body.

"Daddy said you did really good out there in the forest," Hermione told them.

"Really?" Harry beamed with pleasure.

"You and Draco make a pretty great team, yeah?" Hermione said with a grin.

Harry and Draco blushed together, and the snake bumped his head into their still hands when they stopped rubbing the oil into his scales.

Hermione giggled. "He's getting spoiled now. Aren't you Kaa?"

The serpent hissed in agreement.

"You named him after a python?" Harry asked, giggling.

"What python?" Draco asked.

" _The Jungle Book_ ," Hermione beamed. "Daddy reads it to me at night."

"Oh, a book," Draco said, rubbing his nose disinterestedly.

"I _like_ books," Hermione answered, turning her nose up at Draco.

Fenrisúlfr pretended to swallow Hermione from head to waist, causing Draco to stumbled backwards in terror.

Hermione, however, giggled as the giant wolf gave her slurp and released her, panting and tail wagging.

"You need a mint," Hermione said. Pulling out a tin and placing a mint on the wolf's lolling tongue. "Not like Crooks, though." She patted him on the nose tenderly, earning herself a minty slurp from a sandpapery tongue.

Draco swallowed hard.

"Fen wants to go hunting for dinner," Hermione announced, looking at Draco with a strange expression. "What? Fen has to eat too!"

"That is not my issue!" Draco wailed.

"You hungry too?" Hermione asked.

Harry eyed Draco. "I think Fen kind of took him by surprise."

"How? He's gar-ghan-tuious."

"Browl?" Fen replied, tilting his head curiously.

Hermione scratched her head. "I think I got the word wrong again."

"G-giant wolf is so not normal!" Draco said, pointing a finger accusingly.

Hermione scratched Fen's ears. "Don't be silly. He's perfectly normal. You need to get yourself a familiar. Someone who wants to take care of you and steal your warm blankets."

Fen hung his head as Crooks batted him playfully between the ears.

"Mum doesn't think I'm ready for a familiar," Draco said.

Hermione blinked. "Erm… you don't really have a choice. I mean— they sort of just happen."

"You could make one!" Harry recommended enthusiastically, giving Hedwig a frogleg. "I did. She's _**brilliant!**_ "

"Hrrrrrrr, woooo," Hedwig agreed, happily munching on her treat.

Draco shook his head. "You can't just make a familiar!"

It was Harry's turn to give Draco a strange look. Hedwig hooted at Draco, shredding the perch with her talons.

Draco tugged at his collar, looking a little nervous.

Harry sighed. "You just have to want it bad enough," he said. "That's what I did. "She woke me up telling me I was squeezing her way too hard."

Draco shook his head. "Did you really bring Hedwig to life? Are you sure someone didn't just replace your toy with a _real_ owl?"

Harry frowned at that. "I wasn't awake when it happened, but she told me she was happy that I wasn't drooling on her anymore."

Draco seemed to consider this, but he still sported a crinkled, dubious brow.

"Just go to bed with your most favouritist toy, and go to sleep thinking on just how much you want him or her to be real. _Really_ real. You have to mean it, though. You have to want it more than anything, with all your heart."

"Most magic requires you want something badly and really mean it," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Magic always knows when you don't."

Draco shrugged and gave them all a sheepish smile. "I'll give it a shot."

Lucius poked his head around the corner. "We're having a picnic out on the green. Do make sure to clean up your messes before we go."

Fen jumped up and shook himself off as Crooks bounded off to dig out the picnic hamper from one of the cubby holes. Arana held out a light sweater for Hermione, and Hermione slipped into it. "Thanks, everyone!"

Hedwig flew onto Harry's shoulder and hooted cheerfully, ready for the next adventure. Harry soothed her feathers and grinned as he picked up the pieces to the game they were playing and put it away.

Draco seemed confused as to what to do. There were things to pick up, but he didn't make a move towards it.

"Come on, Draco," Harry encouraged. "Pick up the game and put it up so we can go have fun outside."

"But—" Draco hesitated. "Mum says the house elves do that."

"We all have to pick up our stuff," Hermione said. "Otherwise we don't get ice cream later. Daddy _always_ remembers if we did our chores or not."

Harry began to pick up more of the random toys off the floor, and Draco simmered over it for a moment before leaning down and helping him pick up the room. Arana used her back legs to line the books up on the bookshelf by feel, and Kaa slithered back around Hermione's neck and disappeared into her skin— but not before fanglessly nipping the little girl on her ear and tickling her skin with his forked tongue.

Hermione idly scratched her neck and giggled. She helped Harry and Draco pick up the rest of the toys and shove them into the toy chest. She frowned slightly as she patted the chest. "When school starts, Daddy is going to be busy."

Severus, who appeared out of nowhere, scooped her up and hoisted her into the air. "Not so busy as to forget you."

Hermione squealed and giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck in her best boa constrictor impression.

"Come, the elves have already filled the picnic hamper, and I'm pretty sure if we don't hurry, Crookshanks will eat the spoils."

Hermione gasped. "He wouldn't do that!"

Severus arched a brow at her.

"Okay, maybe if we were really slow," she conceded.

Severus plopped Hermione down on Fen's back and the wolf whuffed.

"Hey!" Harry and Draco called, jealousy dripping from every pore.

"Well, come on," Hermione huffed. "Fen is hungry!"

"We're hungry, too," the boys said, clambering up the wolf's side, almost comically, trying to pull themselves up. Fen stood tall and erect, amusing himself in making it as difficult as possible for the two boys to get on his back. Finally Harry seemed to have an epiphany, and he leaned over so Draco could use him as a step up. Draco climbed up and then helped pull Harry up beside him.

Hermione looked as though she was going to say something, but Fen tore off out of the door and down the corridor with the three children clinging to his back.

"Wait for me!" Arana cried, skittering after with all due haste.

"Does it worry you, old friend, that your daughter seems to have an entourage of beastly protectors at the grand age of six?" Lucius asked.

Severus tilted his head and shrugged. "I'd worry more if she didn't have them. Think of how much fun it will be when she grows to the age when boys are interesting and they try to get close to her only to realise they have to get passed a giant wolf, a Nundu, a giant spider, and a neck viper."

"Don't forget the rampaging shiny-stealing Niffler minion."Lucius arched a blond eyebrow. "By fun, I assume you mean chaos and terror?"

Severus' mouth quirked upward. "Perhaps."

Lucius sniffed. "I'm sure Dumbledore is wondering how many more authorisations for irregular familiars he's going to have to sign."

"Will Minerva be joining us?" Lucius added.

"She's checking on our venom victim, but she'll be along after. Amelia has one of our healers living in the Hogsmeade house with him. It seemed like the best place in case he woke up and thought he was being held in a prison."

Lucius wrinkled his nose. "The DoM is not a prison."

"No, but the decor is about on par," Severus noted. "At least in the infirmary."

Lucius looked skyward. "There is that. At least your house is probably the most safely warded place to recuperate outside of the DoM. Is he still in a deep sleep?"

"Yes," Severus replied, taking in a deep breath. The DoM healers say he's not a wizard, but he _is_ magical. I told them who I think he is, given that my daughter has taken quite a shine to Fenrisúlfr and vice versa. It is all pure speculation, though. He hasn't woken to let us know. Still, there can only be so many people— gods or otherwise— who could be found bound by entrails to a stone in the deep Earth, and only the Norse have such a specific… flair for such things."

"Barbaric sadism, if you ask me," Lucius quipped dryly.

"Quite," Severus replied with a snort. "But, Fenrisúlfr has been the most perfectly behaved and honourable sort, taking to guarding Hermione like a pup. He even tolerates the other children for her sake. That breaks all the rules of what we know in myth about Fenrisúlfr, but then—"

"Myth rarely portrays the World Wolf kindly," Lucius recalled, frowning in thought. "Norse myth, specifically, was both a teaching tool and a warning that death was hardly the worst thing that could be inflicted upon you."

"Still," Severus pointed out, "there is no telling what is truth or no. All I know is that he's fiercely loyal to Hermione. He looked me in the eye and I somehow _knew_ that he would keep his word."

"Pity Greyback isn't quite such an honourable sort," Lucius said.

"I highly doubt Greyback could be honourable if it turned into a weasel and bit him in the face."

Lucius snorted. "Weasel or Weas _ley_?"

"Yes." Severus looked Lucius in the eye.

Lucius waved him off.

Severus nodded. "Let's go find the children before they stuff themselves silly with dessert before they even finish their sandwiches."

The blond wizard snorted and glided out the door before him as Severus followed behind, closing the door firmly behind him.

* * *

"There you go," the elder witch said, sticking a magical tag on Arana, Mr Fuzzywiggles, and Fenrisúlfr. "All registered and official, young lady."

"Yay!" Hermione cheered, practically stuffing Mr Fuzzywiggles into her face. "Say thank you, Mr Fuzzywiggles!"

The Niffler squeaked and swiped the witch's gold-framed spectacles right off of her face.

Severus tsked, and the Niffler sullenly gave them back.

The elder witch laughed and pet the Niffler gently, handing him a shiny bronze coin. "Thank you for allowing me to come here to check them out."

"I am glad you could make time," Severus said. "I'm sure it's much easier when people to come to you."

"Easier, yes, but I really wanted to get out of that dusty old office," she replied. "At least when I'm evaluating DoM familiars I know they are well behaved. I had some boy bring in an imprinted dragon hatchling the other week and it tried to destroy half the office and eat our postal owls."

Severus blinked.

"And let's not talk about how someone's cat ate someone else's toad—a rare Kihansi Spray Toad of all things."

"I do not envy you your job, Gemma," Severus confessed.

"Teaching a bunch of our future leaders how not to blow themselves up?" she replied. "I'm not all keen on having your job, that is for sure."

Severus harrumphed. "You _could_ be Professor Gemma Barlowe-Stokes, professional wrangler of heathen children."

"I've always known myself to be horrible with children. I have all the patience of a sunburned hippo."

"Lovely image."

"Isn't it though?"Gemma laughed. Her eyes twinkled with laughter as she watched the children play keep-away mounted on spider and wolf-back. The Nundu cub would leap straight up into the air and snatch the ball they were trying to toss back and forth to each other.

" _ **No fair!"**_ Draco yelled.

"You're just mad 'cause you didn't pick Crooks for your team," Harry laughed at the red-faced blond.

"Crooks is on his _**own**_ team!" Hermione giggled.

 **RRRuuff! Ruf! Rrruff!**

The children instantly froze in place, their eyes sliding over to peer at Fenrisúlfr.

"Browl?" he said, ears perked.

 **Ruff! Ruffruff!**

The odd barking was louder this time and the children clung a little closer to their larger, furrier guardians. Arana tapped her front legs on the ground, and Crooks sniffed the air curiously. Fenrisúlfr turned to face where the barking had come from.

Suddenly, a rabbit bust out of the nearby hedge and tore across the green.

"Rabbits bark?" Harry pondered out loud.

 **RUFF! Ruffruff!**

A brown dog-shaped, furry blur zoomed after the rabbit, barking madly. A chewed off piece of rope dragged behind it. The dog had a very distinctive three heads.

"Whoa! A cerberus!" Harry exclaimed.

"A puppy!" Hermione said excitedly.

"I've always wanted a puppy!" Draco said excitedly, jumping off Fenrisúlfr and tearing off in the direction of where both rabbit and cerberus went.

"Wait! We have to tell—"

"What about your fath—"

Hermione and Harry exchanged glances.

"What about me?" Lucius drawled.

Harry and Hermione's mouths opened and closed silently as they pointed in the other direction.

"I believe your son is chasing after a three-headed puppy in a desperate need for his own warm and wriggling companion of his very own, even if it kills him," Severus said with a sniff.

"What?!" Lucius yelled.

Severus gave Lucius the eyebrow translating to "So much for propriety and manners in conversation."

"Why are you protecting him?" Lucius spouted.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Please. Do you see this menagerie of dangerous creatures with protective instincts and none of them were worried about it. Besides, you were the one who said Draco needed a fuzzy animal to keep him company."

"Not a three-headed dog!"

"Details. It's a puppy," Severus sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "Even a three-headed, excessively drooly puppy is not a threat to national security."

Lucius grunted. "You seem to awfully blasé about my son's being accosted by a three-headed mongrel."

"Puppy, Lucius," Severus corrected. "And I'm pretty sure he's purebred cerberus from Greece, as they only come from one place."

"Like they just pop out of nowhere?"

"Pft," Severus said, waving his hand. "Everyone knows that if some strange animal is going to materialise at Hogwarts it's going to come from one place."

"And where, pray tell is—"

At that moment a bumbling, stumbling half-giant burst out of the hedges, tripped, and landed on top of Lucius.

"Ooooooo!" the children scolded. "Somebody's in trouuuuuble!"

Perhaps fortunately, Lucius' walking cane had flung itself into the air and embedded itself into nearby brush. However, if looks could kill, Lucius was doing a very good interpretation of lethal glares.

"Ah, is this the owner of the cerebus?" Gemma asked, using her magic to levitate Hagrid off of Lucius.

"Well, I er, of course he's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller just the other day. Gave me a proper discount in exchange for a big sack of my best giant pumpkin seeds. Said he was tired of growing potatoes he did," Hagrid announced indignantly.

"Oh, I'm sure breeding three-headed dogs is such a normal switch from growing potatoes," Severus said without inflection of any kind.

Hagrid shifted his weight uneasily. "Well, I wouldn't know. Seems raising potatoes isn't very exciting, so I can't blame him."

"For wanting a little danger?" Severus asked. "The ire of the Grecian regulatory committee?

"My transaction was perfectly legal," Hagrid said. "We shook hands an' ever'thing."

Gemma was rubbing her eyebrows rapidly, seemingly trying to stave off a headache or a migraine bordering on the line of torturous cluster headache.

Severus stuffed a small bottle of a potion into her hands without a word being said.

"Whu—?"

"Drink it," Hermione said. "It makes the woodpeckers in your head go away."

Gemma eyed Hermione suspiciously.

"Would you prefer flesh-eating zoobies?"

"Zombies, Hermione," Severus corrected.

"Those," Hermione said. "Zham bees."

Gemma popped the lid and drank the potion, sighing with instant relief.

"Magical folk call them Inferi," Lucius instructed.

"In furr nigh?"

"In-fair-eye."

"Un-fair-eye."

"IN-fair-eye."

Hermione strained to hear the difference and pretended to learn it like she was learning a spell. Her shoulders straightened, her arm went out like a conductor. "Inferi."

Lucius smiled. "Correct."

Hermione bounced, her seriousness exchanged for happiness and glomped Severus' leg happily.

Severus looked skyward, but his hand ruffled Hermione's curly black hair with affection.

Hermione walked over to Gemma and patted her knee. "Does Mr Hagrid get in trouble for illegal bleeding?"

Gemma's mouth curved into a half-stiffled smile. "Well, I think Mr Hagrid should just show me the paperwork and permits transferred when he bought the dog, and then there would less illegal breeding involved."

Hagrid turned pink under his mask of beard hair. "It was a gentlemanly agreement, it was. We shook hands and everything!"

Hermione looked from Gemma to Hagrid to Lucius and then the Severus, weighing what reaction seemed the most common for the situation and settled with a wrinkled brow and puckered lips.

Just as Gemma was going to attempt explanations as to what legal transactions were when it came to magical animals, Draco came stumbling back with a three-headed puppy in his arms. It licked his chin in triplicate, tail wagging and butt wriggling in excitement. The puppy became so excited that he peed, much to the horror of Lucius. Draco, however, didn't even seem to notice.

"Can we keep him, father?" Draco asked. "He says he likes me."

Lucius frowned at the puppy, and much to his displeasure, the puppy peed again.

"He says you're scary," Draco said.

Hermione smiled at the puppy. "Hi!"

The three-headed pup wagged his tail and barked. She smiled at him broadly. "He says Draco is his person. He wants to be with him."

Draco looked at his father in appeal.

Lucius' lip curled slightly.

"Wooo," Celeste hooted from Severus' shoulder.

"I don't think you have a choice in this one, old friend," Severus said, giving a evaluating sniff.

"But, that pup is mine!" Hagrid protested.

Gemma beckoned Draco over. "Over here, please."

Draco plunked the three-headed puppy in Gemma's lap.

The pup looked up at Gemma with wide eyes all around.

She let him sniff her fingers and she pet him between the ears on each head, then she waved her wand over him. The pup got dizzy following her and flopped over, exposing his belly to her. She rubbed his tummy as she waved her wand. He pawed at her with his too-big-for-his-body paws as he made cute growling sounds. She passed her wand over Draco and then the pup. "Well, it seems, Lucius, that the boy and the dog have a familiar bond. It is newly forged, but it is there."

Draco looked super-excited, but Hagrid had a thunderous scowl on his face.

"Unfortunately, keeping a Cerberi is high maintenance business, Lord Malfoy," Gemma said. "Young Draco will have to go to a specialised handling class in Greece, register the pup with the Greek Ministry, and have permits authorised through both ministries. Cerberi are much like pandas, that are considered citizens of China no matter where they are, so there are very specific regulations regarding their care. This is required for all Cerberi owners in all countries."

"I have a bank!" Draco said proudly, lifting up a coin bank shaped like a bludger and placing it on the table.

Gemma exchanged a look with Lucius, and he waved his hand in a whatever motion.

"Now," Gemma said. "If Mr Hagrid is the true owner of this pup, fully registered and fees paid, then special paperwork will be required to transfer ownership due to the familiar exception as well as fee and class compensation he would have taken in good faith as his owner. Do you have your paperwork, Grecian approval papers, and class receipts, Mr Hagrid?"

"I shook hands for him," Hagrid said, scratching his head. "There was no receipt."

"Then you can have him come here and verify your agreement, Mr Hagrid. You can send a Patronus to summon him here if you would?"

"I, uh, I can't do that."

Severus whispered something into her e ar.

"Well if you don't know the Patronus spell, you can use my owl," Gemma said. The sooty black owl on her shoulder hooted softly.

"Hallo, Veeks," Hermione said to the owl.

The owl hooted back to her excitedly.

"Would you like an owl nut?" Hermione asked. She looked at Gemma. "May I give Veeks an owl nut?"

Gemma smiled. "He loves them. Go ahead."

Hermione held out an owl nut, and Veeks took it from her fingers gently and crunched it up with enthusiasm.

Hagrid, on the other hand, fidgeted in discomfort.

Gemma frowned. "Mr Hagrid. I presume that you cleared the purchase and bringing of such a potentially dangerous animal with the Headmaster of Hogwarts and that will be on record when I speak with him?"

"Uh, well, no ma'am, uh," Hagrid stammered nervously. "The agreement just happened and I was going to present my case to the Headmaster when I saw him next. After the pup got himself settled in, yeah? Prove he could help to protect the school."

Gemma rubbed the pups belly, and the cerberus pup browled and panted happily, licking her hand. "Fortunately, this pup is quite young and impressionable. Socialisation is key at this stage to as many people as possible. Since I am to forced to assume that your purchase of this pup was not done through normal channels through the Grecian authorities, I will not have the Malfoy family pay restitution for your purchase. They may, however, on their own, choose to do so on their terms. The pup is not in the care of his bondmate, Draco Malfoy, and I will expect him to show up daily to training classes this summer until the Grecians authorities come to test and give their approval of the bond."

"Be advised, Draco, that a familiar bond is not permanent this soon. If you abuse him in anyway, the bond can be broken."

"I won't, I swear!" Draco promised.

"Mr Hagrid, I feel I must give you a formal warning. Purchase or exchange for illegally obtained, unofficial trades or purchased magical animals is forbidden by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Gemma said. "Normally, I would you fined and arrested for trial in ths, however, the animal has found a familiar bond, which is sacred. I cannot punish you officially for, even inadvertently, bringing them together. Had I discovered this animal in the future, however, unregistered and untrained, your situation would be dire indeed. Do I make myself _clear_ , Mr Hagrid?"

"Uuuaahhh, yes, sir, ma'am," Hagrid replied.

"If you are to continue raising of magical animals here on the grounds, Mr Hagrid, you are to have the proper permits signed and filed with the Headmaster, as this is a magical school. The safety of the students and staff is paramount."

"Y— yes, ma'am," Hagrid said, straightening.

The pup browled and slurped Gemma's hand, panting happily as she put a collar and a tag on him. "He's all yours, Draco. Take good care of him, and don't be late to the classes. They will start next week at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. You can come to my office and I will take you to the right place."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Draco crowed enthusiastically as the happy pup pounced him, slamming him down on the ground and drool-slurping him.

Hermione and Harry beamed at Draco.

The pup bounced over to inspect Arana, and the fluffy spider patted him with her front legs.

Lucius sighed, but Severus put his arm on his shoulder. "It will be a good experience for him, Lucius. He will feel less behind the other GNUs, and Harry and Hermione will keep them both in line."

"I worry more for if Narcissa will not have a nervous breakdown, old friend."

Severus twitched. "I fear I cannot help you there."

Lucius looked as though he was going to say something, but Severus clapped his hands. "Let's have our picnic, shall we? Gemma, please stay and enjoy the evening with us. It is the least we can do for having you come to us."

Gemma was soothing Arana between all of her eyes, and the spider purred at her.

"What? Oh! Yes, of course!"

"Yay!" Harry cheered.

"Woohoo!" Draco added.

Hermione tugged on Severus' sleeve. "Does Gemma want to sleep with Arana or Fen tonight? Crooks says he can be a good pillow as long as she doesn't pull his whiskers."

"Aegeus says _he_ wants to be her pillow tonight!" Draco said, ruffling the pup's ears happily."

Gemma exchanged knowing glances with Severus and Lucius. "Well, with an invitation like that, who am I to refuse?"

The children cheered as the entourage of animals chased after them on their way to set out the picnic blankets and the hampers.

"Welcome to the family," Lucius said to Gemma, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Veeks hooted to Ceres and Hedwig, and the owls bobbed their heads agreeably.

Gemma smiled. "I'll have to visit more often," she said with a warm smile.

"We'd like that, my friend," Severus said. "We'll get to use the guest room after all."

"Hah!" Gemma laughed, slapping her knee. "Looks like they are getting set up at the beach. Shall we?"

Lucius extended his arm politely, and Gemma looped her arm around his as he escorted her down to the picnic, the owls flying circles around them in playful loop-de-loops.

Severus kept up at the rear, a smile on his normally dour face.

* * *

 **A/N:** Draco is going to need two more sets of arms and hands to keep up with Aegeus, though I think that's what Hermione and Harry are for. Do you think Gemma will keep Hagrid honest? Can anything keep Hagrid honest? I dunno… Whatever happens, I think Draco will take far better care of his new multi-headed best friend, and he needs a friend that will be by him even when his GNU friends cannot.

Sorry for taking so long on this updated (started in March arugh) but so many other things on my plate. Writing child-Hermione/Harry/Draco is hard, and I stare at the screen a _lot_.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


End file.
